Uninvited
by ScottXLoganNetwork
Summary: An 18 year old Scott goes on a mission that end up horribly wrong. When he ends up stranded in Canada away from his team he has a chance encounter that causes him to cross paths with Logan. He takes Scott in & grudgingly offers to help Scott find his way back to his team. However, before that can happen the two make surprising discoveries that leads to an undeniable attraction.
1. Chapter 1

**Note:** This story is part of the Marvel-Bang and the outstanding art for this story is by the incredibly talented Whipbogard. If you are on tumblr I strongly recommend you follow!

**Summary:** An eighteen year old Scott Summers goes on a mission that end up horribly wrong. When he ends up stranded in Canada away from his team in bitter weather conditions he has a chance encounter that causes him to cross paths with Logan. Logan takes Scott in and grudgingly offers to help Scott find his way back to his team. However, before that can happen the two make surprising discoveries about one another that leads to an undeniable attraction and uncovers a history of violence behind them at the hands of William Stryker. _(Set in between Wolverine Origins and the original X-Men film; written as a loose prequel to another fan work I did called Starting Over)_

xxxxx

Things had gone from bad to worse for Scott Summers as he trekked through the ice and snow hoping to seek out shelter from the endless storm that surrounded him. Yes, maybe he'd half listened to the weather report when they'd warned that Canada was in the midst of blizzard-like conditions, but he hadn't thought it would apply to him. He'd hoped the mission would be simple enough-his first big chance to prove to Xavier that his faith hadn't been misplaced in the youthful squad leader of the X-Men. It was bad enough that Scott had heard the rumors from his arrival at the school, listening to the whispers and snickers about the inevitable 'special favors' Scott must've been paying Xavier to get such an honor. However, despite their bitterness and hatred Scott knew he'd worked hard to achieve such a merit. He trained endlessly, refusing to show an ounce of weakness in his quest for Xavier's approval. It meant the world to him, made him want to prove that he's grown beyond the scared child he once was. It was a driving force, but now all of Xavier's faith felt misplaced when Scott thought of the mission gone wrong.

Yes, it seemed simple enough, Scott had thought at the time. He would simply go to Canada with a team, survey the area and check out the mutant activity in the area. He'd assured Xavier that he'd been up for the task, that he was more than capable to lead the others even in his youth. They'd come out here in the hopes that they could find a few more potential students, maybe even others with the same thoughts of peace and equality as they'd believed in at Xavier's school. It had been up to Scott and his team to encourage that union, to help them find their way to the school, but just when Scott thought everything was under his control, the storm began. At first it was nothing, merely a blip on his radar, but soon it started to mess with the jet, causing Scott to make a crash landing in the middle of nowhere. The jet was worse for wear, but fortunately the others had been able to make it out of the impromptu landing unscathed.

"So much for your fine leadership skills Cyclops," one of his team mates had taunted, goading him towards that inferiority complex Scott struggled with on a daily basis.

"He made the right decision," another had offered up supportively, but it wasn't before long that they were under attack. Something went horribly wrong and they were forced to fight an unknown enemy force. That's when everything went to hell.

Now buried up to his thighs in snow, his body near locking up in the frigid temperature, he knew that he needed to find help. He had to alert Xavier to the fact that the others were missing, that the team had been scattered in battle and Scott wasn't sure what had come of them.

"Some team leader you are," Scott could hear an inner voice taunting, reminding him of his inadequacy. Though in all honesty it hadn't been his fault with what had happened. The truth was he hadn't been prepared for it in all of his training. Yes, he'd taken out a few of the enemies when in battle, but when he'd felt the threat was gone, he'd discovered his team was missing as well. He'd searched for hours, struggling to save them, wondering if the battle had done them under, but instead he'd found nothing. It was just emptiness and snow. Lots of it.

Now the snow taunted him. It condemned him to walk alone, to continue his endless search for shelter-for help and understanding, but instead it continued to blanket him in white. It's unrelenting, violent fury poured down upon him making him realize that there was no reprieve in sight. His resolve was fading, his hopes for saving the others waning and as he treaded through the snow he could hear an inner voice urging him to just give up. It cajoled him to stop fighting the fight, to give in to the temptation to fall to the ground and simply let go. It was seductive, powerful and trying to free Scott of the heavy burden on his shoulders, encouraging him to let go of all control…to simply cease to exist. It wanted him to surrender, to give up the fight, but before Scott would allow himself to succumb to the siren call, he felt the first glimmer of hope upon him in the form of smoke in the sky about two hundred yards away. There was a building in sight. It was a small darkened place before him and for the first time in his two days of traveling on his own Scott felt a renewed sense to keep moving on in pushing his feet forward.

xxxxx

Logan sank back on the barstool finishing off his third beer of the night. While he knew it wasn't going to make a difference how many of them he would have, he'd hoped they would provide him with a little warmth on the night he'd ventured out into. It wasn't that he was looking for company, but rather after a while the walls of the cabin simply became suffocating-a reminder of the loneliness his life had brought upon him. Yes, he didn't need anyone, hadn't wanted to burden anyone else with his dangerous curse, yet on a night like tonight with the winds howling and the snow threatening to take the world under, he knew that he needed a change of scenery.

"Want another?" the barkeep questioned motioning to Logan's now empty glass.

He nodded gruffly, "Sure, why not?"

"Same answer every night," the barkeep laughed, wiping his hands on the towel before reaching for Logan's glass and filling it up again, "Hell of a night out there, isn't it?"

"I've seen worse," Logan shrugged his shoulders, slumping down further as he thought of the cigar in his pocket. He contemplated lighting it, but refrained figuring he'd save it for tonight when he was alone at his cabin.

"I'll bet you have," the barkeep gave Logan a long once over. Logan knew that look. He'd received it a lot through the years…well, at least through the years he could remember. He knew he wasn't pretty, wasn't the type of guy that didn't raise suspicions with his sour demeanor and overwhelming presence. Most of the time people feared him. They stayed away and although Logan had pondered it more often than not, he liked it that way. Being alone was safer. It was easier to work with in his lifestyle traveling from place to place. It gave him reason to refrain from staying in one place too long, from making any kind of ties to the world around him that would simply leave him even more alone in the end.

"We're going to be closing soon," the barkeep announced breaking through Logan's thoughts.

"I'm almost finished here," Logan explained hearing the sound of the door opening. A gust of wind cut through the warmth of the bar, sending tiny snow flurries into the room when Logan looked up to see a tall, slender, awkward hint of a man staggering into the bar. He was dressed in blue and yellow, looking a bit like a pilot with a thin jacket and gloves on. His skin was bright red, his hair coated in white from the blizzard outside. His eyes were covered by sunglasses that matched the color of his skin and when he opened his mouth to speak it seemed no sound fell from his lips.

"We're about to close," the barkeep explained giving the new arrival a weary glance. Despite his disheveled appearance, the one thing that stood out was that he was an outsider. That in itself wasn't going to get him anywhere given that they weren't welcomed in these parts, Logan realized turning around to reach for his beer again. Although the kid looked like hell, Logan knew the drill. He would be escorted out, sent on his way and then things would return to normal once the kid was gone.

"Please," the cracked voice finally found sound beyond the cold, "I just need to use your phone. You have one, y-yes?"

"It's broken and we're about to close," the barkeep explained setting his hand towel down on the top of the bar. "You're going to have to leave."

"You've got to be kidding me," the boy gulped down hard, the sound reaching through Logan's ears and sounding almost painful in the midst of the smoke and music of the bar. He could sense the desperation in the kid's tone, tried to ignore it, but with each unsteady step the kid took towards him, Logan tensed up feeling a sudden familiarity creep in over him, invading his senses.

"I can pay for a drink," the boy's teeth chattered relentlessly, his voice cracked and youthful despite the bitterness he'd clearly endured for the night.

"You don't look old enough for anything we have here," the barkeep eyed him suspiciously when the rest of the eyes in the bar returned to normal, no longer interested in the youthful stranger.

"You strike me as the kind of guy that it doesn't really matter if I was," the boy threw some money on the countertop from behind his gloved hand, "Besides I just want a drink and then to use your phone. After that I'll be on my way and you can forget you ever saw me."

The barkeep snatched up the money, "I already told you kid, we don't have a phone here."

"Then can you at least point me in the direction of the nearest phone?" he questioned with a raw, desperation in his voice. The barkeep ignored the boy, pouring him a beer before setting it down on the top of the bar.

"You've got five minutes to finish this and get out of here because the last thing I want is trouble," the barkeep warned before walking away.

The boy said nothing simply reached for the glass behind shaky hands and raised it to his lips. Logan could see his reflection in the mirror, watching as the trembling fingers worked to pour the beer in between his lips, hoping to get it down in a frenzy. He gulped harder, swallowing as if he hadn't had a drink in days in between choking on the alcohol. It was then that Logan took a good, hard look at the boy. His skin was almost bluish, his lips chapped and skin weathered from the storm that had surrounded them. If Logan had to guess judging by the boy's demeanor he couldn't have had a drink or even a decent meal for days. When he finished off the beer, he set the glass down on the top of the bar before turning to look up at Logan.

"Do you have a phone?" he questioned simply, his lips curling downward in desperation.

"Don't believe in them kid," Logan shrugged dismissively, realizing he'd spent far too much time scrutinizing the boy beside him. "You'll find most don't in these parts."

"Great," he sighed tipping his head down. Although Logan couldn't see the boy's eyes, he noticed the way that the kid's face was tilted in such a fashion that there was no mistaking his gaze was upon the bowl of peanuts in front of Logan. Logan hesitated before sliding the bowl out across the bar towards him.

"I'm done with these," Logan remarked with a casual shrug. He watched the boy hesitate before reaching for the bowl and shoving the peanuts into his mouth. He practically choked on them, unable to get them in fast enough in his obvious hunger. Logan listened to the sounds of the boy hurriedly pushing them down his throat, desperate and all too eager for any kind of sustenance. He choked again, this time with a deeper cough than before causing the barkeep to return with a scowl.

"I thought I told you that you had to go," the barkeep snarled at the new arrival.

"He's fine," Logan surprised himself with his words, not quite sure why he was taking up for the skinny kid who'd walked into the local haunt. "although he might need another drink."

"Fine, but whatever happens it's on you," the bartender warned as Logan placed some money down on top of the bar.

"Yeah okay," Logan tapped his own empty glass as well motioning that he was in need of a refill. The barkeep grudgingly moved to fill Logan's request before the boy beside Logan spoke up again.

"Thank you," he replied with genuine warmth behind his tone. It was the first time since his arrival that his voice had finally evened out. It made him sound far less youthful after he had a few seconds to warm up. However, as the boy reached out for his beer taking a long drink of it, Logan couldn't help, but note the flawless lines of the boy's face. The perfectly sculpted cheekbones, the bluish lips that would otherwise be alluring in their perfection, the bridge of the cold nose that he suspected wasn't used to these conditions and the eyes, well those were still hidden behind the glasses, but Logan found himself suspecting they wouldn't be any less remarkable than the youthful Adonis at his side. The boy was beautiful in his own right, pretty enough to have gained anyone's attention outside of the aloof bar, yet uneasy enough for him not to have realized the charms he could've very easily used upon the world around him. The youthful innocence worked for him, making Logan sit in silent appreciation of the view in spite of himself. Then again to think it proved that Logan had been alone too long. With that thought weighing on his mind, Logan looked away dismissing the notion of admiring the kid beside him any longer.

"My name's Scott," the kid explained holding his gloved hand out towards Logan.

"I didn't ask," Logan refused to look at him, not bothering to respond to the kid's words. He closed his eyes feeling a strangeness building inside of him, a sensation he was unable to shake when the scent of the kid lingered over him. He smelled good, far too incredible for these parts, Logan realized knowing that the stranger was completely out of his element.

"Fine," disappointment carried over Scott's tone, "then maybe you can just point me in the direction of a phone since no one around here seems to have one."

"You'll find that to be true in these parts," Logan finally forced himself to look at the boy again, "Phones don't really hold any relevance out here."

"Great," Scott's lips parted with a scowl, "that's just wonderful. I get marooned in a place where there's no semblance of modern technology around me. All I want to do is get home and…"

"Where is home exactly?" Logan questioned in spite of himself.

"New York," Scott answered quietly, "at least it is for now."

"Now?" Logan repeated with a sudden curiosity overtaking him, "Where was it before?"

"Alaska," Scott's voice tapered off, growing even more uneasy, "but that was a long time ago."

"Alaska, huh?" Logan gave the kid a long once over, taking in his strange uniform, "You'd think being a native of Alaska, you'd know how to dress for these weather conditions."

"I wasn't planning on any of this," Scott sighed heavily, defeat carrying over his words, "None of this was on my agenda."

"Oh yeah? Well what was…?" Logan asked wondering why he gave a damn about what the kid was up to. It wasn't his problem.

"I was actually…" Scott sat up straighter, beginning to open up to Logan without the same fear or concerns that others had around him. It seemed that the boy had looked beyond Logan's gruff appearance and was simply grateful for the conversation. It was a surprising change for Logan-one that he was almost welcoming when another patron at the bar approached them.

"You said you're looking for a phone?" an oversized balding man with a thick, reddish goatee questioned giving Scott a long once over.

"Yeah, I am," Scott replied eagerly, turning around to face the overwhelming man before him. He gulped down, not quite sure he wanted to answer before he continued, "I need to get in contact with someone and…"

"His sister has a phone at her place," the man pointed to an equally shady looking man over by the pool table who was tattooed and finishing off his beer with a predatory stare. The man's companion licked his lips and waved over at Scott. "We could take you with us over there if you would like."

"I um…" Scott began nervously, uncertain of the offer that was being laid out to him.

"It's not that far away. It's about a twenty minute drive," the man continued flashing Scott a predatory grin, "with my truck we can get through the snow pretty easily and…"

"Well, I guess if you have a phone I could use then…." Scott shrugged, preparing to stand up and accompany the man.

"He's not going anywhere with you," Logan finally decided sensing the lie upon the man's lips. Although he hadn't wanted to get involved, he knew full well the type of character the man before him had. He could sniff out bullshit. It was something he'd been surrounded by for years when it came to human nature. When the lies came pouring out, Logan could feel them surround him, suffocating him with their dark intentions. Hell, he hadn't ignored the way that the man had coveted Scott when he'd walked into the bar. He'd even heard the muted whispers between the two men who had spent far too many nights alone in the Canadian winter without any real entertainment. They'd pondered the things they'd wanted to do Scott without censoring themselves in their whispers. They hadn't assumed anyone would hear them, but Logan had. He'd filtered it to some degree, but now as Scott stood before him ready to trust the duplicitous man before him, Logan couldn't help, but react. "Back off!"

"It's up to the kid what he wants," the man looked past Logan to where Scott stood uneasily. "He needs to get to a phone and we can help him with that."

"Like hell," Logan snarled refusing to budge as he stood between Scott and the man before him, "Back off."

"No, you back off. The kid's coming with us," the man remarked dismissively, "Come on. Grab your things and we'll get you to that phone."

"He's lying," Logan turned around to face Scott fully, "He doesn't have a phone and that man over there doesn't have a sister. It's a setup."

"Listen," the man shoved Logan hard, harder than he should have when Logan snarled.

"No you listen," Logan roared, his eyes wild with anger, "you stay away from the boy. He's not going anywhere with you."

"Who the hell are you to say what he can or cannot do?" the man pushed at Logan's chest again, sending him back into the top of the bar. The empty beer glasses crashed down to the floor, the remainder of the peanuts spilling up into the air before flying out across the back of the bar. Logan snarled, standing up straighter and speaking up behind gritted teeth.

"You're going to wish you hadn't done that," Logan warned feeling his anger getting the best of him when the man before him reached into his denim pocket pulling out a revolver.

"No you're the one that's going to wish you hadn't…" the man waved the gun in Logan's face before speaking up to Scott. "Go get in the truck boy and we'll get you to that phone."

"No," Scott shook his head furiously, "I don't think so. I'm going to stay here."

"You don't have a choice boy," the man waved the gun over in Scott's direction; "I'm no longer asking you. Get in the truck with my pal."

"I don't think so," Logan charged the man before him, attempting to pull the gun out of Scott's face.

Scott ducked down, catching a glimpse of the man's companion approaching with a pool stick in his hand, preparing to use it as a weapon against Logan. Springing into action Scott leapt forward, kicking out and using his martial arts skills to subdue the man. He flipped the cue stick out of the man's hand, causing it to spin up into the air before Scott caught it. The man charged towards Scott, his eyes wild with rage when Scott whipped the cue stick around in the air, sending it into the man's stomach without hesitation. The man doubled over in pain at the force of the blow, groaning in agony when Scott raised it up again, slamming it down over his neck and shoulders with enough force to cause the man to drop to the ground. The cue stick broke in half at the impact of the blow causing Scott to improvise. He slammed both sides of it against the man's neck, driving it over the man's shoulders before dropping the pieces. He reached for a glass pitcher of beer that had been on a nearby table and sent it crashing down over the man's head effectively knocking the man out. It was then that Scott heard the sound of a gunshot.

Turning around, Scott's eyes widened behind his glasses, surprise coiling through his body when he watched the man who'd been helping him drop to the ground. His body was hunched over beside the fallen bar stools, his arm sprawled out across the floor dropped down in a pool of blood that Scott suspected was his own.

"No," Scott rushed forward preparing to tear the shooter to pieces, ready to continue to fight back when he felt something crash down over his head. He could hear the sound of shattering glass right before he felt an indistinguishable pain in the back of his head before everything fell to darkness.

xxxxx

A gasp fell from Scott's lips as he awakened from his nightmare with a start. He couldn't get the air into his lungs fast enough. His body was covered with sweat and the pressure from his glasses wasn't there on his face indicating his glasses were gone. Keeping his eyes closed tightly, he tried to control his breathing, to forget the bloodied images of a hammer that had tortured his subconscious endlessly night after night when he was haunted by his time being held captive by William Stryker. Xavier had promised over time the horror would fade away, but Scott was no longer convinced. He'd felt them slip out of his mind for a while hoping their lingering presence in his life would finally fade out, but each time he thought he'd made progress they returned to torture him. He was brought back to that place where he'd been tormented, ripped from the life he had before coming to the school. He could feel their taunts, could feel their hands upon him, breaking him, tearing him to pieces all because he'd fought back. It made him sick to his stomach imagining what might've happened had he not been strong enough to stand his ground. Even if they'd taken him to death's door, there was no way that…

Scott's thoughts came to an abrupt ending when he felt the warmth of sheets wrapped around his body. He was in a bed, he realized, but something was different. Stretching his fingers out across the blankets he took in the texture of the sheets. They were flannel, stitched differently than his had been. They were coarser, with a different kind of softness and suddenly Scott found himself on edge realizing he wasn't back at the school. Panic began to set in when he thought back to the crash, to the battle that followed and his journey through the snow.

"The bar," Scott gasped aloud remembering the confrontation that had ensued once the two men had tried to bait him into leaving with him. He could recall the fight he'd entered into, the man who had been at the bar trying to help him and then the gunshot.

"No," Scott's jaw dropped in horror. Instinctively he brought his hand up over his chest surprised to feel that his uniform was gone. His chest was bare and with the sheet around his legs, revealing the flannel to him, he was struck by a sudden fear.

"Please no," Scott threw the blankets back relieved to discover when his hand moved over his thigh that he was in his boxer shorts, not naked in the strange bed he'd awakened in. He reached out across the mattress hoping to feel his way around as he wondered how he'd gotten there. Had the men at the bar taken him away once they'd shot his reluctant companion? Were they keeping him locked up for their own brand of sadistic torment after they'd managed to subdue him? Scott could feel a lump on his head indicating that he'd been hit, but everything else felt…strained, but not tortured. His body wasn't broken. He could still move around with no real pain except for the traces of wind exposure and exhaustion that must've carried over him in his journey. However, waking up in a strange bed was a sign it was time to pull it together.

"Where am I?" Scott questioned stretching his hand out further to feel the corner of a nightstand beside him. He'd hoped to find his glasses on top of it, but much to his dismay they weren't around. He frowned attempting to open what he suspected was the top drawer when there was a sound from another part of the place he was being held in. He sat up straighter listening, bracing himself for whatever would inevitably follow when the sound of footsteps moved through the area. He was certain he'd heard a door slamming, maybe even a gust of wind and…

"You have to get dressed and get out of here," a voice warned causing Scott to haphazardly slide out of the bed, hoping to feel his way out of wherever he was. He staggered through the room, keeping his hands out in front of him, bracing himself for whatever would follow. The floor beneath his toes was wooden, smooth and warm to the touch surprisingly. The grooves beneath his toes were a sign of craftsmanship, of real work that had been put into the process, indicating someone had spent a lot of time and effort into creating it. He heard a floor panel creak beneath his toes and he paused simply just listening and waiting. Knowing that he was stripped down to his boxer shorts Scott realized that rushing out into the frigid cold wasn't going to help anything. He'd freeze to death before he could make it even a mile away if the winds were keeping up as they had been the night before. Still in not knowing where he was, Scott realized he had to fight back. He had to break free before…

Another sound erupted, guiding Scott back against the wall leading into the hallway. He sucked in a breath, standing up straighter and bracing himself against the drywall in the hopes of shrinking away just long enough for him to formulate a plan of escape. If only he could reach Xavier, if only Xavier had known to look for him, to seek him out in the coldest part of Canada, but Scott knew it was an impossibility. Even with Cerebro at his disposal, Scott had a feeling it would be difficult for Charles to locate him. He was too far north, too away from civilization for Xavier to get there fast enough especially if danger was on the horizon. Saying a silent prayer Scott listened again realizing that it had gone silent in the place he was being held captive in. If he could just find a way out or even some clothing…

There were footsteps again. They were approaching, moving in on Scott, causing him to panic. He thought back to the way the man with the gun had snarled at him, to the way that danger was surrounding him when he gulped. Hard. He tried to remember his training, to put his skill to good use as he vowed not to be a victim again. He wouldn't be helpless, not like he'd been in that facility when those people were testing on him, hurting him. Never again. When the footsteps grew nearer, Scott sprung forward ready to attack by any means necessary. He sent his fist out, flinging it into what he hoped was his captors face when he felt a tight grip on his wrist.

"Whoa there slugger," laughter surrounded him, "I thought I heard you were awake."

"Where am I?" Scott demanded attempting to dislodge his wrist. However, the grip surrounding him intensified, not enough to hurt him, but enough to prevent him from trying to strike the man before him.

"You're safe now so relax," he explained with a breath as Scott recognized the sound of the voice. It was the man from the bar, the one he'd watched fall to the ground after being shot.

"No," Scott gasped thinking about what he'd witnessed before being knocked out, "you can't be here. You're dead. I saw that man shoot you."

"He wasn't that lucky with his aim I guess," the fingers released Scott's wrist, allowing it to drop down to his side with confusion, "He should've known better than to bring a gun to a knife fight."

"What?" Scott questioned blankly not understanding the small trace of laughter he'd heard in the man's voice. A moment later he felt an oversized paper bag being pushed into his arms.

"Put those on and then we'll get some food in you kid," the voice suggested as Scott involuntary wrapped his arms around the bag he'd been presented with.

"What is this?" Scott asked wearily, his eyes still closed tightly and keeping him from seeing the man's face before him.

"It's clothing," the man explained simply. "Figured you wouldn't fit into anything I had and your things were soaked."

"Where are they?" Scott demanded with an uncertainty in his voice. "Where are my glasses?"

"Next to the bed," there was a long pause, "You okay kid?"

"I can't see without them," Scott answered unsure how much to reveal to the stranger before him, "I need them."

"You blind kid?" surprise registered in the stranger's voice.

Scott nodded, "Something like that. They just help…"

"Okay," Scott felt a hand on his arm, fingers curling in against his bare skin. He tensed up, taking in a breath of contemplation before allowing himself to relax when he realized they meant no harm.

"I'll take you back to the bedroom to find them," the voice softened, a genuine concern carrying over the man's tone. "You know for a blind kid, you sure fight pretty well. I saw what you did to that guy with the cue stick and…"

"I'm not blind really," Scott contemplated his words before clearing his throat, "it's just without the glasses my eyes are so light sensitive that I can't see without them. It's painful not having them and…"

"You don't have to explain," fingers released him. Scott stood still, feeling the stranger move away, shuffling around the room before the sound of footsteps returning grew stronger. He felt the man pull the bag from his arms, taking it somewhere else before he returned to deposit the glasses in Scott's palm. "Here you are."

"Thank you," Scott let out a long breath of relief, bringing his glasses up to his face and putting them on. He adjusted them, taking a moment to recover from the jolt of surprise he'd experienced in waking up without them. When his eyes opened he looked around the room discovering they were in a rustic cabin of sorts, away from the bitter sting of the winter winds that surrounded them. Turning his head to the side, Scott discovered the man at the bar standing a few feet away from him watching him with a newfound curiosity. The expression on the man's face made Scott gulp, had him wondering just how long he'd been unconscious as the man remained still clearly sizing Scott up just as Scott was doing to him.

"You can see now?" the man questioned after a long, contemplative glance.

Scott nodded, "A lot better than I could without them. This is safer for the both of us."

"Safer?" he raised a curious brow. "Is that right?"

Scott nodded again, "It's a long story."

"In that case that's my cue to exit. Those long stories aren't really my scene," the man revealed motioning to the bag he'd placed down on the oversized bed Scott had awakened in. It was larger than Scott had anticipated; looking far more welcoming than it had felt when Scott had risen without an inkling of where he was. He suspected the blankets were a blue and red checkered pattern, but he couldn't be sure given that the colors were always off behind the glasses he wore. He could merely assume that was the color scheme leading to the pillows Scott had rested upon. "Those should fit you I think. There wasn't a lot to choose from at the thrift store, but…"

"Thank you," Scott replied turning to face the man again, "I know you didn't have to, but…"

"Yeah, sure," he turned to leave offering Scott the privacy to get dressed.

"Wait," Scott called out to him, "do you have a name?"

"I do," he nodded before slipping out into the hallway and leaving Scott alone.

"What is it?" Scott questioned loudly, hoping to know more about the man who had rescued him from the impending danger at the bar.

"Logan," he mouthed in a neutral tone, giving Scott the first inclination of something about the man who had saved him.

"Logan," Scott repeated knowing full well that while he wasn't out of hot water yet, it was a hell of a lot better to end up in Logan's care. At least from what he'd seen so far, Logan beat the hell out of the winter madness that surrounded Scott before his journey into the bar. Maybe just maybe Logan would prove to be useful in helping him find his way back to Xavier after all.

Xxxxx

The clothing was a bit snug on Scott when he'd pushed the light colored turtleneck in over his head. It itched a bit as it was made of a woolen material that Scott found to be rather uncomfortable. However, in looking at the alternative to this particular shirt Scott had selected, he realized the other would leave his scars on display, something Scott hadn't been proud of. Even though he and Logan had spoken with one another earlier when Scott had been stripped down, Logan hadn't said anything about the scars. He hadn't questioned them or even stared indicating that he hadn't bothered to notice. That was a relief in itself, Scott had decided knowing only too well that he wasn't about to open up the door to that conversation with anyone anytime soon. He cleared his throat, tugging at the collar of his shirt, stretching it out just a bit before turning his attention to the jeans Logan had selected for him. Again, they were a bit snug, even with Scott's slender frame and he sucked in a breath to button them up. They were uncomfortable as well, but they were better than nothing, Scott decided upon taking a glimpse at his reflection in the mirror. Maybe if he didn't decide to sit or eat anything he'd do fine in wearing them. He could walk and that had to be something.

"Here goes nothing," Scott thought to himself as he moved to the bedroom door, opting to walk out and explore the cabin with the luxury of his glasses on his face. He moved freely through the hallway, surprised to find no decorations on the walls. There weren't any kind of family photos surrounding him, just meager furnishings up ahead with a worn sofa and a couple of chairs in the living room. As Scott surveyed the area further, he discovered there wasn't any real sign of technology before him either. There wasn't a television, a radio or anything else to indicate the man he was with had any kind of ties to the modern world.

At the far corner of the room there were, however, a couple of bookshelves filled with old novels. Scott stepped forward finding himself intrigued by the collection especially after seeing rare first print editions of the classics before him. Scott reached up to touch the binding of one of them, feeling its fragile texture beneath his fingertips when a voice beckoned him.

"Careful with those," Logan warned simply, "they're a lot older than you are."

"I'm well aware of that," Scott extracted one of the books from the shelf carefully and brushed his finger over the binding, "but that doesn't make them any less appealing. You have a small fortune on your hands with these. They're originals, aren't they?"

"I suppose," Logan shrugged walking into the room with a steaming mug in hand, "but to me they're simply something to do on a long, cold night out here."

"To me they're thrilling," Scott spun around to face Logan fully, "I love this book."

"You do?" Logan raised a curious brow, eyeing Scott with a long, moment of scrutiny.

"I do," Scott nodded before pointing to another, "and this one as well."

"Aren't they a little dated for you kid?" Logan held the mug out towards Scott and collected the book from Scott's hand. He put it back on the shelf and turned his back to Scott.

"I might be young, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the classics when they're presented to me," Scott mouthed in insult, "I'm rather fond of them actually."

"That's rare from someone your age," Logan shrugged simply before moving aside to the kitchen area he'd emerged from a few seconds earlier, "Then again some of them bore the hell out of me as well truth be told. I'm not really a books kind of guy. I'd rather be out living life instead of staying inside reading about someone else's adventures."

"You could've fooled me with all of these," Scott nodded to the bookshelves again, "You seem to be a very avid reader."

"They aren't all mine," Logan divulged simply.

"Are they your wife's?" Scott couldn't help, but ask trying to get a feel for the man before him. He stepped through the room, taking in Logan's meager furnishings again, hoping to get a sense of the man who had rescued him.

"Not married," Logan shrugged his shoulders again before raising his head up to issue Scott a small warning glance when Scott bent down to touch the antique lamp on the table not far from the sofa, "not much for company either."

"Fair enough," Scott stood up taller, releasing the lamp he'd been intrigued by. He moved to push his hands into his pockets, rethinking it when he remembered how tight the jeans were on him.

"Those look a bit snug," Logan replied in between chopping carrots.

"They're good enough," Scott answered graciously, not about to be rude to his host, "they'll do until my uniform is dry."

"Speaking of which," Logan paused setting the knife down he'd been working with, "you in the military kid? You look a bit young to be involved with that."

"I'm not as young as I look," Scott asserted with a firm breath, "I'm eighteen. Almost nineteen actually."

"Eighteen," Logan couldn't help, but laugh, "yeah what was I thinking? You're an old man now, aren't you kid?"

"I feel like it at times," Scott revealed thoughtlessly. He caught the expression on Logan's face before trying to cover, "So you really don't have a phone, do you?"

"Do I look like I would be the kind of person to have a phone around here?" Logan motioned to his surroundings before pushing the carrots he'd been chopping into a pot, "I like to keep it simple."

"Simple," Scott repeated with a slight hesitation, "cold is more like it."

"Hey," Logan snapped back at him, "you could be out there freezing your ass off right now, so I think I would choose my words carefully if I were you. I could've left you back at the bar to deal with those two idiots."

"Forgive me," Scott apologized realizing the error in his words, "it's not that I'm ungrateful. I'm just, well, perhaps I'm just disoriented by everything that happened. Before I lost consciousness I could've sworn that you were shot. I saw you on the ground and…"

"You were out of consciousness for two days kiddo. I'm sure you thought you saw a lot of crazy things that you didn't," Logan shrugged revealing nothing in response to Scott's hint of questioning.

"Two days," Scott gulped down harder than before, "I've been here for two days?"

"Almost three by this point in time," Logan nodded. He faced Scott again, tilting his head to the side before meeting his eyes through the glasses, "I was starting to wonder if you were going to be alright. If it wasn't for the nightmares you were having, I would've been worried that…"

"Nightmares," Scott repeated with a tiny shudder knowing of the visions that had haunted him, "Was I….?"

"They let me know you were still alive and breathing," Logan shrugged dismissively, "That's all that mattered to me. I figured you'd sort it all out when you woke up."

"Yeah, that might prove to be difficult given that you don't believe in modern technology," Scott walked over to the countertop before him. He reached for one of the barstools beside it and took a seat. He set his mug down on the countertop, not bothering to take a drink, but rather simply finding himself enjoying the steam that rose up from its hot surface to brush against his palm, "I have to get into contact with my headmaster and let him know that I'm alright."

"Headmaster? As in school?" Logan gave him another long once over, "You a runaway?"

"Graduate student," Scott stated simply, catching the expression on Logan's face, "I told you I'm not that young."

"You said you were eighteen," Logan wrinkled his nose at him.

"Eighteen and graduated with honors before I was seventeen," Scott boasted with an air of pride surrounding him, "I breezed through the college courses doing most of my undergraduate work in about a year and…"

"So you're a smart one?" Logan's brow perked up with interest. "Then how the hell did you wind up out here?"

"I had a lot of time on my hands with the schooling to study and as for being here," Scott let out an exaggerated sigh, "I'm starting to wonder why I thought it was a good idea as well."

"So if you don't mind my asking, what were you doing out here?" Logan stirred the stew he was working on quickly putting together.

"I thought I was showing everyone that I could handle things on my own, but apparently I wasn't ready for that much responsibility yet," Scott explained poignantly, his guilt and uneasiness getting the best of him in his confession. "My team came out here to complete a mission. It should've been simple enough and with me in charge, well I thought I could control it, but…"

"But what?" Logan questioned.

"We were blindsided and everything went to hell. I tried to find them, but we were separated from one another. For all I know they could still be out there struggling to find shelter and…" Scott's words tapered off with worry. He raised his chin up to meet Logan's eyes again, "I have to find them."

"Have you taken a look outside recently kid? Neither one of us are going anywhere for a while, so you may as well settle yourself in," Logan explained with a shake of his head, "I'm sure whatever happened, it wasn't your fault."

"I never should've allowed our flight to go down like it did," Scott cursed himself silently, "It was stupid and foolish…"

"Hey, I'm sure it was unavoidable," Logan softened his tone, "You don't strike me as the type to surround himself with mistakes."

"I feel like that's all I'm ever immersed in lately," Scott let out an ironic laugh, "Here I was trying to prove I deserved the title of squad leader and I blew it. I could've cost my teammates their lives and…"

"That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid. Graduate school, being in the military," Logan shook his head and sighed, "you're far too young for that kind of life."

"I'm not that young," Scott defended sharply, "and besides I've seen things. I've experienced life and I know things that most people don't."

"Me too kid and I can assure you it doesn't end well the longer you get sucked into it," Logan mouthed in response, worry creasing his brow as he looked at Scott. "You should be enjoying life. You know playing ball, dating all the wrong people, or the right ones depending on how you look at it. You should be having fun, not taking the weight of the world on your shoulders."

"Why the hell do you care what I do?" Scott answered abrasively.

"I don't," Logan stood up taller, "I was just saying."

"Well don't," Scott snapped back at him, "I don't need your advice or your concern. I just need…"

"My food and shelter, right?" Logan mouthed in offense. "Of course instead of offering up a little gratitude for having me take you in I'm met by this attitude of yours."

"That's not what I was," Scott attempted to defend himself when he caught the expression on Logan's face.

"Sure you were because you're looking for someone to unload on right now in your frustration, but I can assure you it's not me," Logan scoffed in response, a growl building in the back of his throat, "I don't need it kid."

"I'm not a kid," Scott snapped, spinning on his heel and turning around to face him with a glare, "quit calling me that."

"Stop acting like one," Logan challenged motioning to the pot on the stove. "The stew should be done shortly. Eat all you want."

"Wait a second," Scott watched Logan move through the living room reaching for his coat and putting it on, "where are you going? You said neither one of us could get anywhere in this weather, so where do you think you're…?"

"To get some air," Logan answered gruffly, his words harsh and abrasive as he stomped out of the cabin, giving them both some much needed space after it was clear that neither was adjusting to their new situation with one another very well.

"But you'll freeze…" Scott mouthed to himself when the door slammed leaving him alone in Logan's home with nothing more than the reminders of his failure to surround him in Logan's absence.

xxxxx

"What were you thinking?" Logan mouthed to himself while trudging through the snow. Making his way back to the cabin with firewood in his arms he thought about how he'd foolishly brought the boy back home with him. It had been a mistake, but at the same time there was something familiar about him that Logan couldn't quite shake. His scent was overwhelmingly indistinguishable as if Logan had experienced it before, his face identifiable as Logan could see visions of him appear in his dreams, haunting him like a ghost long after Logan had brought Scott home with him. There was something about Scott that Logan was certain he'd experienced before, but his memory loss wouldn't allow him the luxury of recall. Of course after listening to Scott complain and whine, Logan decided maybe he'd been wrong. Perhaps his senses were off in thinking that the teen could provide him with any real understanding of what all of the sensations had meant with Logan. Instead Logan had found himself babysitting an ungrateful, know-it-all who would simply drive him crazy the longer they spent time with one another.

With that thought causing tension to spiral out over his body, Logan stepped into the cabin, preparing to deal with Scott's twenty questions, but instead he was surprised to find Scott slumped over on the sofa, curled up with one of the books Logan had caught him eyeing earlier. In his slumber Scott seemed peaceful, serene and almost angelic before him. There was something about Scott that Logan couldn't quite shake, that he didn't want to and in moving closer, he set the firewood down and stood silently watching Scott.

"He's beautiful," a voice inside of his head admitted causing Logan to concede to the fact that perhaps it had been that very thing that had brought upon the feeling of familiarity. Perhaps it had been that unspoken attraction to Scott that Logan felt that had guided his noble attempt at rescuing him. Still, having been without companionship for so very long already, Logan knew full well he wasn't about to engage in temptation anytime soon and certainly not with an eighteen year old stranger, who was bound and determined to find his way back home to New York.

He watched Scott shuffle before him, discarding the book on the floor in his sleep. Kneeling down Logan reached for the book, unable to take his eyes off of Scott in the moment. Silently he reached out, brushing a stray strand of hair away from his features, revealing the softness of Scott's skin to Logan's touch. It sent ripples of sensation over him, flashes of want and desire deep into his skin at the contact. When Scott shifted again with the beginnings of a smile carrying over his full, pouty lips, Logan's heart skipped a beat. His thumb grazed over the hollow of Scott's cheekbone, stroking his face tenderly before Scott leaned into the touch further.

"What are you doing?" a voice inside of Logan's mind warned as he pulled back, staggering down on the ground when Scott's eyelashes started to flutter behind the glasses he was wearing, indicating that Scott was waking up. Suddenly Logan felt like a pervert, like a lonely, old man who had been lecherously moving in on an innocent, giving in to temptation. That thought in itself caused Logan to cringe, to snap back to his senses when there was a faint glow that built up behind the glasses that Scott was wearing. At first Logan had thought he'd imagined it, but the longer he stared, the more he realized it was there.

"Hi," Scott smiled at Logan, lazily greeting him with warmth that was familiar and welcome to the both of them.

"Hi," Logan cleared his throat, bringing the same hand that had touched Scott up through his own wiry hair before speaking up again, "you eat while I was gone?"

"I was waiting for you," Scott explained with a yawn, "I thought it rude to begin without you since you were kind enough to make it for me."

"Me?" Logan laughed lightly, "Kind? Kiddo you must've hit your head harder than I thought before."

"You took in a stranger when no one else wanted to and took care of him when he was unconscious for two days," Scott called out to Logan after Logan had moved to his feet again standing upright, "not many people would do that."

"Not many people are glutton for punishment I would imagine like I am," Logan shrugged, refusing to turn around and look at Scott again. "though if you haven't eaten any of this, I'm assuming its cold now."

"Can't we just warm it up again?" Scott sat up straighter on the couch, bringing his fingers through his messy hair. "I can help if you like."

"I can handle it," Logan shrugged his shoulders, "just give it a few minutes and…"

"I can set the table," Scott bounced up off of the couch, his eagerness a bit unnerving to Logan in the moment.

"Whatever makes you happy," Logan mouthed sourly, "though you really should've had this while it was hot the first time around."

"I didn't think it would be fair to indulge without you," Scott explained searching around the kitchen for Logan's dishes. Once he'd located a couple of mismatched bowls, he extracted them from a tiny cabinet.

"Trust me my cooking leaves much to be desired. It's far from indulgent," Logan couldn't help, but laugh, "It's sustenance though and that's what counts."

"Either way I'm grateful for it," Scott hesitated revealing the uneasiness in his voice uneasy in the moment, "and I'm grateful for you as well…for taking me in I mean."

"Sure," Logan nodded watching the steam rise from the pot of stew. "I believe it's done."

"In that case, let me help," Scott bounced in closer to him, reaching for the ladle in Logan's hand. Their fingers brushed up against one another, causing a spark of electricity bouncing between them when Logan realized how long it had been since anyone had made any kind of contact with him. Yes, he'd touched Scott's face, but to feel Scott initiate the touch, it caused a breath to catch in the back of his throat and desire to spring to life inside of him in ways he was certain he was going to rot in hell for with his new companion.

"Go ahead," Logan cleared his throat uneasily, stepping aside to allow Scott the opportunity to fill their bowls.

"Thanks," Scott's cheeks were flushed, surprisingly cherry colored as his shaky hand began to pour the stew into the bowls he'd brought with him. "It smells good."

"It won't taste that way. I guarantee that," Logan couldn't help, but crack a small grin. "You'll wish it tasted better I'm certain."

"I'm willing to take my chances considering I don't remember the last time I ate a home cooked meal," Scott admitted with a small breath, "Anything would be great right about now."

"Keep telling yourself that kid…" Logan laughed lightly only to catch the disapproving glare Scott issued him, "Scott."

Scott tipped his head to the side and smiled over at Logan, grateful that Logan had caught his error and corrected himself, "I'm sure I'll rather enjoy it."

"You're quite the optimist, aren't you?" Logan gave Scott another long perusal, unable to help, but wonder how Scott had managed to fit himself into those far too binding jeans. They left little to the imagination about Scott's curves, giving way to far too much of Logan's curiosity with answers to what lay beneath Scott's clothing even in his youth. The thought in itself made Logan tense up and look away, knowing only too well that the last thing he should be thinking about is seeing Scott naked in any kind of exchange. "I'm sure your girlfriend appreciates that, doesn't she?"

"I don't have a girlfriend," Scott explained filling up a bowl and turning to set it on the countertop in front of where Logan was now seated. He paused contemplating his words before speaking up again, "It's not that I haven't tried because, well there's a girl, but it feels like no matter what I do she just doesn't feel the same."

"Why not?" Logan questioned trying to make casual conversation with Scott.

"If I knew the answer to that I wouldn't be here right now," Scott let out an ironic laugh. Turning his attention to the stove once again, he began to pour himself a bowl of stew. "Honestly I kind of hoped that seeing me finally take a role of real leadership would impress her, but after this screw up, I'm guessing I'm going to be the joke of the school."

"You joined the military to impress a girl?" Logan raised a surprised brow. "Really kid?"

"I'm not really in the military. It's…" Scott bit down on his lower lip thinking up a way to answer Logan, "it's complicated, but for what it's worth, yeah a part of me was hoping Jean would take me seriously after she saw that I wasn't just the strange kid that pretty much everyone hates at school."

"Hates?" Logan repeated with surprise in his eyes, "That's a rather big assertion Scott. I'm sure it isn't that bad."

"They either hate or fear me," Scott shrugged walking over to the counter to place his bowl down across from Logan's. Reaching for an empty bar stool, he dragged it across the floor so that he was sitting on the opposite side of the bar from Logan, "It's not that I blame them. I'm not exactly normal, so…"

"You seem normal enough to me," Logan took a hearty bite of the stew. "A little thin, but normal for your age."

"Looks can be deceiving," Scott paused reaching for his spoon and dipping it into the stew, "I'm not exactly as I appear to be."

"When are any of us?" Logan countered watching as Scott took in the scent of the stew. He raised the spoon to his face, allowing the aroma to linger before moving forward to take a taste. "Trust me you're going to hate it."

"I don't care," Scott swallowed down the bite with a hearty gulp. He attempted to push it down, but choked in the process overtaken by the atrocious taste.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Logan sprung up to his feet and walked over to the sink to get Scott an oversized glass of water.

"No…it's…fine…" Scott attempted to be polite in between coughs, "a little bit…salty, but it's…it's good…"

"You're a terrible liar," Logan noted with an amused expression offering the water to Scott, "but for what it's worth if you do less talking and eat it faster you'll find it goes down easier."

Scott nodded saying nothing further when the two men continued to finish off their bowls in silence. Although the taste had left much to be desired, Logan wasn't all that surprised to see Scott heading over to pour himself another bowl after having slept for two days. Without being asked Scott had collected Logan's bowl as well getting him a refill. Shortly after Scott returned to the table they dug in for seconds until the two were finished with their meals, caught up in an awkward moment of numbing silence. Normally Logan was one for silence, but with Scott looking around, seemingly lost, Logan cleared his throat and spoke up again.

"So this girl," Logan couldn't help, but ask, "Why isn't she interested in you really?"

"I honestly don't know," Scott rolled his shoulders back with embarrassment, "We've been friends for a while…the best of friends really, but…"

"But what?" Logan questioned attempting to make small talk.

"She's older and I'm not as, well, I guess I'm just not what she's looking for right now," Scott divulged quietly. "I was kind of hoping she'd take me seriously after I kissed her, but…"

"She deny you after that?" Logan's brow perked up with interest.

"She started seeing someone else shortly after," Scott let out an ironic laugh, "so I guess that speaks volumes about my ability to kiss a person."

"Or maybe it speaks volumes about the girl," Logan suggested watching Scott spring up onto his feet to take their dishes to the sink. He began to wash them and Logan frowned, "Don't worry about that Scott. I'll get to it later."

"No, I can do it. You were kind enough to have me here, so the least I can do is…" Scott argued with him, doing his best to a cordial guest when Logan stood up and approached him.

"You should really be resting especially if we're going to even think about getting you back home when this storm clears up," Logan suggested reaching out to touch Scott's arm. While he knew it was crossing a line, it was one that he couldn't resist when he prevented Scott from continuing to work on the dirty dishes, "I've got it covered Scott. You should go to bed."

"Not tired," Scott answered stubbornly stilling his moments now that Logan stood behind him wondering what in the hell had made him think bringing Scott back home with him was a good idea. It was an awful thought, even worse in its execution now that he stood behind Scott wanting to reach out and touch him, to tell him that he was convinced that idiot girl at school had to be off the mark about the way Scott kissed when…

"I'm not in the mood to sleep Logan," Scott finally broke the connection between them, turning around to face Logan fully. He raised his chin up, meeting Logan with a stubborn determination, "I slept for two days already."

"Even so you're still recovering and…" Logan's words came to an abrupt ending when his mouth centered in on those lips he couldn't help, but think about.

"Why aren't you married Logan?" Scott questioned breaking through Logan's thoughts. "Why are you still alone?"

"Guess I haven't met the right person yet," Logan shrugged taking in the intoxicating scent of Scott. While it had been days since Scott had clearly been at ease in his skin, in the moment Scott's curiosity sparked one in Logan as well. Unable to resist he leaned in closer to Scott, his gaze lingering over Scott's mouth in silent contemplation, "Sometimes it's easier to be alone with the kind of life I lead."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Scott nodded slightly, "but at the same time sometimes I wonder if…"

"If what?" Logan questioned reaching out around Scott to place his hands down on the base of the sink behind Scott to keep from touching him.

"If maybe I've been looking in all the wrong places," Scott divulged rising up on his toes and surprising Logan when Scott's fingers brushed against the rough surface of Logan's skin. Logan's eyes widened, seeing Scott take the initiative to ease his fingers into Logan's wild, unruly hair.

"What are you doing kid?" Logan questioned trying to snap himself out of the daze he was in.

"Seeing if you're right," Scott slurred, a hazy expression on his face as he twisted on his toes, inching in closer to Logan, "seeing if Jean's a bad judge of the quality in a kiss."

"Scott," Logan spoke his name preparing to issue some kind of protest when Scott's arm snaked around Logan's neck further, brazenly guiding Logan in closer to him. There was a moment of hesitation, a second where Logan knew this could go one way or the other, bridging on the verge of right and wrong, but the animalistic hunger and loneliness took over when Logan felt Scott's mouth crashing into his, surprising him with the ferocity of the kiss.

Instinctively Logan's arms wrapped around Scott's slender frame, kissing him harder, roughly as Scott leaned back into the counter. His lips parted, tongue lashing out at Logan's wild and untrained in the art of slow and lingering. It was frantic, hungry and seeking out something that Logan himself hadn't been aware he'd been missing until that moment in time. Unable to hold back, Logan stepped forward crushing Scott further, pressing harder against his lithe form. Scott groaned, awareness of Logan's arousal bringing him down from the moment when they parted.

"She's clearly an idiot," Logan decided breathlessly as his eyes were still centered in on Scott's insatiable lips, "There's nothing wrong with the way you kiss."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Scott smiled up at him, a lazy warmth carrying over his flushed features. His fingertips tapered off over the back of Logan's neck, savoring the heat of Logan beside him, "I just…"

"This is a mistake Scott," Logan tensed up allowing reality to come crashing down upon him. He released Scott, stepping back and silently condemning himself for allowing the kiss to happen in the first place, "You don't owe me anything for saving you. I just want to help you get home and…"

"I didn't think you expected anything," Scott replied with a wounded expression, feeling the weight of Logan's rejection, "I've just never felt this drawn to someone before. It's crazy I know, but there's something about you that I just can't shake. Something that…"

"I'm sorry I let things get out of hand," Logan turned his back to Scott, stomping off over towards the couch without looking back over his shoulder, "You should go to bed."

"Logan, I just don't think…" Scott started making a small movement towards Logan.

"That's right you aren't thinking kid because I'm a complete stranger to you," Logan snarled glaring over his shoulder at Scott. "You know nothing about me-nothing at all so to even think about whatever it is that's on your mind, it would be a huge mistake."

"Maybe you're right," Scott finally agreed embarrassment overtaking him when he rushed off to Logan's bedroom slamming the door shut behind him.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Logan questioned dropping down onto the couch realizing he'd lost his damned mind in thinking having Scott around was a good idea. However, the sooner he got Scott out of the cabin, the better it would be for the both of them.


	2. Chapter 2

"What were you thinking?" Scott questioned pulling the blankets up over his chest when a deep shudder carried over him. It had been hours since he'd impulsively kissed Logan, yet he couldn't block the memory from his mind.

Keeping his eyes closed tightly he thought back to the way it felt to have Logan's lips over his kissing him in ways that Scott had only reserved for Jean. However, as Scott thought about the way Jean had been disinterested in him in having moved on to someone else, Scott had questioned his own appeal. It had been on his mind for so very long after that first kiss. He'd wanted Jean to reciprocate his feelings, to want him the way that he'd wanted her, yet in seeing her with someone else Scott had found himself returning to that same awkwardness that had surrounded his life since his arrival at the school. After Jean had shunned him he'd felt isolated and alone, foolish in so many ways, yet in waking up in Logan's home something had changed. Although Scott couldn't explain it, there was something about Logan he couldn't quite shake. It went well beyond gratitude in those moments that he and Logan had spent together, yet there were no words to convey what he was feeling.

"So you kissed him," Scott could hear the inner voice inside of his head condemning him all over again. The world already thought he was a freak, but to impulsively kiss a man who had saved his life was simply unacceptable. He'd known it at the time, yet he'd felt this overwhelming attraction to Logan. It was unlike anything Scott had experienced in his life in thinking about how good he'd felt to have Logan's eyes upon him. Granted, he'd pretended he hadn't noticed, but when he'd felt Logan touching his face and holding his cheek when Logan had thought Scott was still sleeping there was something inside of him that had changed.

"I'm not like this. I know better," Scott reminded himself in thinking about the way he'd crossed a line into unfamiliar territory. Granted he hadn't thought about his sexuality in terms of what he'd been attracted to before that point in time. Before the mission he'd been immersed in thoughts of Jean, yet in seeing Logan standing before him taking care of him…well, he had to be confusing gratitude and emotion. He'd been through hell after his team had been attacked, so perhaps he still wasn't thinking straight. It was the confusion carrying over him. Yes, that had to be why he'd behaved in such an improper fashion with Logan.

"You have to get back home," Scott reminded himself when his thoughts returned to his team. Keeping his eyes closed tightly he wondered if they'd been fortunate enough to find their way to shelter. Had they been able to seek out Charles or were they simply stranded as Scott was? Then again Scott was in the warmth of Logan's cabin and the others…

"They could be dying somewhere while you're indulging in flirtations Scott," he could hear his psyche condemning him for thinking about flirting at a time when he was supposed to be living up to his promise to do what was best for the team. Instead of contemplating kissing Logan he should've been out there seeking out his team and finding a way to get back home. That's what a good leader would do. A coward on the other hand would simply sit back and do nothing like Scott had been doing.

Consumed by thoughts of the others Scott pushed the blanket away from his body. He kicked his legs over the side of the bed and opened his eyes. He was still wearing his glasses for fear of misplacing them should he drift off to sleep. Now, however, in looking around the room, it was still a deep shade of black red indicating that it was much later than he'd imagined. Logan had to be sleeping, Scott deduced as he searched the bedroom for his shoes. When he realized they weren't in the room, Scott's eyes traveled to the door knowing what was waiting on the other side. Walking out of the room would mean risking another embarrassing encounter with Logan. That thought in itself caused Scott's heart to race, his pulse to quicken in awareness of the kiss they had shared. In spite of himself and his condemning thoughts Scott had enjoyed it—undoubtedly more than he should've allowed himself. Still he couldn't allow that to hold him back when the others were depending on him. They were relying on him to help bring them back to safety and even if that meant leaving the safety of Logan's cabin, then so be it.

"I just hope they are alright," Scott mouthed to himself when he took a bold step forward in reaching for the door knob. He twisted it in his shaky fingers wondering if Logan would be out on the couch. However, when he opened the door and peered out into the hallway, he realized that the rest of the cabin was filled with the same darkness. There was light towards the front of the cabin near the living room area, but Scott suspected it was merely a reflection of the overwhelming pile of snow beyond the windows. He could hear the wind howl beyond the cabin. It created a creaking sound against the walls of the chilled hallway as if it held a warning to Scott in guiding him back to the bedroom. However knowing that the others were out there, Scott turned away from the bedroom preparing to seek out his shoes when he heard another sound rise up from behind where he stood.

"Going somewhere?" Logan's voice caused Scott to practically leap out of his skin when he spun around to discover Logan standing behind him in the darkness. His suspicious eyes searched Scott's features with intense scrutiny as Scott gulped down hard.

"I need to find my team," Scott answered standing up taller. He pushed his fingers into the outer thighs of the tight denim he was wearing when he noticed the way Logan's upper lip curled with amusement.

"It's the middle of the night here in the dead of winter and you think you're going to go find your team?" Logan raised an amused brow, "Are you suicidal kid?"

"I already told you," Scott frowned at Logan's mocking tone, "I'm not a kid. I'm a team leader that…"

"…is going to get himself killed if he's thinking about being foolish enough to go out there now," Logan chastised as the winds kicked up around the cabin, "Kid, it's well below zero out there and…"

"I don't care Logan," Scott huffed impatiently, "They are my responsibility and they are counting on me to…"

"You aren't going to be able to do anything for them if you freeze to death," Logan reminded him with a simple shake of his head, "That's exactly where you will be if you go out there tonight like that."

"I just need my things and…" Scott replied preparing to argue further with Logan when his gaze dropped down to Logan's chest. Although Scott was practically freezing in the hallway, Logan's bare skin revealed itself to Scott through the darkness. He was clad only in a pair of black sweatpants while his feet stood bare on the wooden flooring beneath them. Raising his chin up Scott's eyes found their way to Logan's chest again to admire the broad musculature before him. He felt his pulse quicken when his eyes traced over the thick, dark hair that was scattered over Logan's muscled contours leading down to the top of his sweatpants where Scott suspected Logan was even more impressive in ways that Scott hadn't thought about before this moment in time. Almost immediately Scott looked away wondering what had overtaken him when he licked his lips nervously. Trying to regain his composure Scott spoke up again in a stubborn voice, "You can't keep me here against my will Logan."

"You're right," Logan agreed folding his arms in front of his chest, "I can't, but do you really want to go out there tonight Scott? Do you think as a team leader that's the best of ideas?"

"You don't know anything about my leadership skills," Scott scoffed in forcing himself to look at Logan again. His hidden eyes widened beneath his glasses, which was something he'd been grateful for given that Logan couldn't see the way that his presence was affecting Scott. Taking in a breath Scott attempted to be neutral in his voice when he spoke to Logan, "You know nothing about me."

"And you know even less about this area," Logan reminded him sharply, "which means if you go out there and try to go on a one man rescue mission you're bound to kill yourself."

"If that's the price to pay to help find the others…" Scott opened his mouth to say something more when Logan shook his head at him.

"You're a stubborn son of a bitch, aren't you?" Logan frowned making a bold step towards Scott, "You aren't going to be happy until you torture yourself completely, are you?"

"They're my responsibility Logan and if I leave them behind…" Scott began again in thinking about the things that had gone wrong up until that point in time.

"They weren't too concerned about finding you, now were they?" Logan arched a suspicious brow, "Here you are worried about others that you claim are your responsibility, yet you made it all this way on your own and…"

"You don't know them," Scott curled his lip in protest when Logan stepped in closer yet, "You don't really know me either."

"Maybe not, but I can see you aren't equipped for a long, cold night out there on your own," Logan reminded him simply, "Even I wouldn't be crazy enough to attempt a rescue mission at this time of night."

"You're just saying that to keep me here," Scott scoffed with an agitated quip, "You think because I'm young that…"

"That you shouldn't go out there and kill yourself?" Logan finished for him, "You're damn right about that kid and if you have a problem with that, then tough. I changed my mind. I will keep you from leaving if you try to go right now."

"Then it's you that will be making the mistake," Scott attempted to move forward and brush past Logan. He made it a few steps towards the front of the cabin when he felt Logan's fingers curl over his arm and wrench him back into the hallway.

"I don't think so," Logan snarled as Scott spun on his heel, preparing to turn around and strike Logan. Unfortunately Logan anticipated the move when his other hand gripped at Scott's wrist. The movement sent Scott back into the wall, pinned between Logan and the wooden surface behind him.

"You can't stop me Logan," Scott snapped with frustration carrying over his body. He twisted against Logan's hold in him, fighting the feel of Logan's solid grip on his wrists when Logan inched in closer to him.

"Do you really want to test that assertion Scott?" Logan questioned preparing for battle between them when his gaze dropped down to Scott's lips.

In the movement Scott felt his heart hammer in his chest. His pulse plummeted even further when he watched Logan's tongue instinctively drag across his bottom lip in a predatory fashion. Although it wasn't at all what Scott had anticipated when he'd been met by Logan's opposition, there was something appealing about the way the man before him was watching him, eyeing Scott as if he was a savory meal that Logan was eager to devour. The raw, animalistic presence Logan carried with him was enough to make Scott tremble inside, overtaken with lust and desire in ways that he hadn't thought possible. Yes, he'd wanted Jean. He'd had less than pure thoughts about her, yet with Logan hovering over him, keeping Scott up against the wall in a forceful fashion, Scott found himself wanting a whole hell of a lot more than the awkward kiss they'd shared in Logan's kitchen earlier.

"You aren't going anywhere Scott," Logan's hot breath cascaded over Scott's features blowing out warmth over the side of his face and down his neck when Scott arched his head back into the wall stubbornly.

"Just how do you think you're going to stop me?" Scott's voice was meant to be a threat, yet it came out in more of a flirty, sultry whisper when he raised his arm at the elbow to reach out to touch Logan's bicep. His fingers squeezed over the hair-dusted muscle sliding up over Logan's arm to touch his elbow. He felt Logan stiffen beside him, his lips parting further as Scott took in the warmth of Logan's skin in contrast to the chill in the night that surrounded him.

"Don't start issuing dares that you can't follow through on kid," Logan's eyes flashed with lust and immediately Scott felt breathless. He twisted against the wall in feeling Logan's grip on his wrist intensify. He felt Logan step forward, his eyes now seeking out any kind of response in Scott's own hidden gaze behind the glasses.

"Who said I didn't plan on following through on them?" Scott questioned exposing his neck to Logan when Logan's face dropped down sliding his nose in against the side of Scott's neck. The movement caused Scott to whimper when Logan released his wrist. Instead Logan's hand crept in around Scott's waist, squeezing at the dip just above Scott's hip to hold Scott tighter than before.

"You don't realize that you're playing with fire right now kid," Logan murmured pressing a surprising kiss against the side of Scott's neck. His lips moved in a slow, drawn out slide up to Scott's earlobe when he whispered over the back of Scott's ear, "You don't offer a starving man a savory morsel when he's gone without for so very long."

"How long?" Scott questioned tipping his head to the side when Logan's lips carried over Scott's pulse point in a faint tease of a kiss. The slide of Logan's lips over his caused Scott to shift against the wall, arm stretching out around Logan's waist to squeeze and hold Logan against him.

"Too long," Logan admitted with an uncertainty behind his voice. He blinked a couple of times before he released Scott's slender frame. For a moment Scott thought that Logan would retreat, but instead he placed his hands up on the wall beside Scott's head in an attempt to cage the desire that coursed through his veins. He exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling with the movement when he closed his eyes, "Scott, you need to go back to bed. We can discuss this in the morning."

"Let's discuss this now," Scott suggested keeping his arm around Logan's thick, muscle corded body, "How long has it been Logan?"

"I don't remember," Logan answered meeting Scott's eyes again with a sudden darkness behind them.

"You don't remember?" Scott repeated when Logan tensed up beside him.

"It's been a while," Logan paused before forcing himself to look at Scott once again. He dropped one hand reaching out to touch the side of Scott's face in a tender display, "What about you? When was the last time you…?"

"Well…I…" Scott felt his face grow flushed with embarrassment. The contact between them had his skin ablaze, his body wanting something more between them despite what Scott knew to be right and wrong. He sucked in a sharp breath wondering just how far Logan was willing to take things when he forced himself to meet Logan's eyes again, "what does it matter?"

"Kissing Jean huh," Logan released him almost immediately. In an instant the mood shifted when Logan stepped aside to place a distance between them.

"That's not the only time I've ever…" Scott opened his mouth to protest when Logan issued him another disbelieving look.

"You're a terrible liar Scott," Logan pushed one hand up through his hair, "I'm willing to guess that as brave as you are right now, you've got a long way to go before you're ready to consider…"

"I like kissing you Logan," Scott blurted out surprising himself with the directness in his voice, "a lot."

"I like kissing you too kid, but that doesn't make it right," Logan took a step back, "Neither does me allowing you to go out into the blizzard to find your team. If this is really something you're set on doing, then we'll leave in the morning together."

"Together," Scott repeated watching as Logan expelled a harsh, frustrated breath.

"Unless you have a problem with me tagging along?" Logan questioned raising a speculative brow.

"No," Scott shook his head in feeling a breath of relief carry over him, "not at all."

"Good, so now that we've got that settled, why don't you head back to bed?" Logan decided pushing his fingers through his unruly hair once again before looking beyond where Scott stood.

"I'm not tired," Scott decided pushing his chest out stubbornly.

"You're going to need your rest before we head out into that storm," Logan nodded to the winds that carried over the cabin, "I don't know if we'll really be able to get out there in the morning if it keeps up at this rate, but…"

"I don't have a choice Logan," Scott admitted wondering if Xavier had sent another team looking for them at this point in time, "Given how long I've been missing someone has to be out there…"

"All the more reason for you to rest up," Logan suggested as he took a step towards the living room, "Exhaustion won't be to your benefit in this cold."

"It's cold in here," Scott called out to Logan when nervousness carried over his abdomen, "especially in the bedroom."

"I'm sorry that the heating isn't up to par," Logan replied not bothering to look back over his shoulder, "but there are extra blankets in the closet if you need them."

"I was thinking maybe an extra body would help bring some warmth into the room," Scott offered up brazenly. His words weren't nearly as shaky as he'd thought they'd be when Logan stopped moving completely.

"Scott, I already told you that…" Logan's voice resonated through the hallway.

"It's your bedroom Logan," Scott attempted to be casual with the not-so-subtle potentially indecent proposal he was offering Logan, "The bed is big enough for the both of us and then some. I know that the couch isn't the most comfortable of places and…"

"I don't need comfort to sleep," Logan answered stiffly.

"I don't want to be alone," Scott admitted feeling a moment of desperation carry over him, "at least not now."

"Scott, I just don't think that…" Logan finally turned around to face Scott once again.

"I promise I'll behave," Scott assured him in the hopes of having Logan stay with him, "It's just with tonight being so cold, I just don't want to be by myself. I know that it's a lot to ask, but…"

"Something tells me you aren't going to quit until you have what you want," Logan grudgingly turned around to approach Scott again, "but I'm warning you now…"

"Just sleep I promise," Scott raised his fingers up in the air mimicking a movement he'd done in his youth.

"What's that?" Logan questioned tipping his head to the side and giving him a strange look.

"Scout's honor," Scott answered feeling a heat rise over his cheekbones when he lowered his fingers, "never mind. Thank you. I'll just get the blankets in order and…"

"Sure," Logan replied as Scott followed him into the bedroom. Reaching for the door, Scott pulled it to a close before looking over to Logan again.

"Now that I have you in here," Scott faced Logan again with a sudden seriousness on his features, "I have one more favor to ask of you."

"What's that?" Logan questioned seeing the nervousness that carried over Scott's features.

"Do you have something else I can put on for now?" Scott motioned to the tight jeans he was wearing, "These are a bit binding and…"

"It won't fit you," Logan explained gruffly.

"I don't mind," Scott brought his hand down to push at the button on his jeans.

"Scott," Logan's eyes immediately traveled down to the hint of skin revealed beneath the bottom of Scott's turtleneck shirt. Instinctively his tongue dragged over his bottom lip once again before Scott watched him turn away, "I'll see what I can find."

"Alright," Scott replied taking a seat on the edge of the bed, "thank you Logan."

"Don't mention it," Logan offered in a haste as Scott watched Logan move to the tiny closet to pull out a pair of sweatpants that matched the pair he'd been wearing. He quickly tossed them across the room at Scott, not bothering to look back when he moved to the door again.

"Logan, where are you going?" Scott questioned worriedly when Logan opened up the door.

"I'll give you a few minutes to change," Logan answered gruffly before walking out into the hallway and leaving Scott to his thoughts about how life had changed since he'd met Logan. Something told him that somehow things weren't ever going to be the same again.

xxxxx

"No!" Scott's voice roused Logan from his slumber when he felt his companion at his side writhing and twisting beneath the blankets beside him, "Please…don't…no…stop!"

Scott's voice grew frantic as Logan twisted on the bed to discover Scott covered in a layer of sweat. His beautifully sculpted lips were twisted downward in a tight scowl, lost in something that went beyond his nightmare when Logan noticed Scott's fingers gripping tightly onto the sheet beneath him on the bed. He let out a pained whimper, his chest rising and falling in a pant when his head moved across the top of the pillow.

"Don't hurt me," Scott pleaded in almost a childlike voice when his body shuddered. He broke into tiny sobs as his cheeks puffed out. Kicking underneath the blankets Logan realized Scott was clearly fighting off a demon in his dreams much like Logan had done more often than he'd cared to admit. However, in seeing his companion in such a state, Logan couldn't help, but reach out to pull Scott in closer to him.

"No," Scott choked out, bringing one hand up over his turtleneck covered neck in a harsh gasp. His glasses were still on his face, surprisingly held in place in spite of all of Scott's movement. When Logan reached out for them in an attempt to see if Scott was aright he felt Scott's fingers worriedly squeeze into his palm, "Please…don't."

"Scott?" Logan questioned feeling Scott's damp body in against his chest when Scott broke into tiny sobs. Although Logan couldn't see Scott's eyes, he could feel the dampness of the tears that fell down his face.

"Just tell me I'm safe Logan," Scott pleaded twisting against Logan when his dream faded to give way to reality, "Tell me that it's just us here."

"It's just us," Logan replied wrapping his arm around Scott's waist. He guided Scott in over his chest more completely while his fingers smoothed out over Scott's spine to hold Scott against him, "You're safe."

"I'm sorry…" Scott offered up weakly when Logan squeezed him in closer, "I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," Logan hugged Scott in tighter, "you don't have to explain yourself to me. I understand nightmares."

"I tried to erase them from my mind," Scott let out an ironic laugh in spite of the tears that had overtaken him moments earlier, "Charles even tried, but…"

"Charles?" Logan questioned raising his head up off of the pillow to look down at Scott.

"He's the headmaster at my school. He's like my father," Scott explained in between breaths, "He took me in when I had nowhere else to go and…"

"What happened to you?" Logan inquired knowing he was crossing one line too many in prompting Scott to speak about the nightmare. Given his own inability to question the terrifying thoughts that consumed his dreams, Logan pondered his hypocrisy in questioning Scott. However, with Scott's arm squeezed tightly around his waist in holding Logan as if his world depended on Logan keeping him close, Logan found himself wanting to make the nightmare disappear.

"Horrible things," Scott offered up with a hollow, emptiness when his breathing returned to normal, "Things I don't ever want to think about again, but every time I try to block them out they still find a way to haunt me."

"Nightmares are like that," Logan conceded when Scott brought his palm up over the center of Logan's chest, "They always find the most inconvenient of times to worm their way back into your subconscious."

"Do you have nightmares too?" Scott questioned raising his chin up to look up at Logan. He twisted on his elbows propping himself up so that his slender frame was pressed in over Logan, touching him in ways that Logan hadn't felt in quite some time.

Drawing in an uneasy breath Logan nodded, "Sometimes."

"About what?" Scott questioned sliding up over Logan's body so that his face was hovering over Logan's. His long, slender fingers stretched out across Logan's cheek to tease over the dark hair near his jaw line. They made a soft, massaging movement as Logan closed his eyes again.

"Dark unspeakable things from another life," Logan answered in a muted tone when his body tensed up beneath Scott. He exhaled sharply, fighting to ignore the way his body responded to the shift Scott's thigh made over him. There was a moment of uneasiness causing an immediate reaction inside of Logan in knowing that he'd gone far too long without a lover's touch when Scott's hips shifted over him again, causing Logan to think about the light weight of the younger man upon him, "Scott."

"What?" Scott questioned lazily pushing his fingers into Logan's thick, unruly hair in an intimate press.

"You need to stop what you're doing," Logan explained in a harsh, uneasy tone. He forced himself to open his eyes again and see Scott above him. Through the darkness he could see his own face reflected in the ruby colored lenses of Scott's glasses, but beyond that in the moment he found himself overwhelmed by the scent of lust that radiated off of Scott. Even in his youth Scott seemed consumed by it, offering up the most intoxicating, forbidden scent of desire and sexual need. It matched Logan's own as Scott shifted over Logan once again, this time rubbing his slender form against Logan's powerful thigh.

"We're just talking," Scott feigned innocence when Logan's arm rose from the sheet beside him. Instinctively his hand found his way to Scott's thigh, cupping and holding the boy in over him. With a firm press he squeezed Scott in closer watching as Scott's lips parted, mouth expelling a tiny breath of desire when Logan held him.

"Are we?" Logan challenged when Scott slid his leg out over Logan to curl around Logan's outer thigh. The movement caused Logan to groan when Scott dipped down bringing his lips dangerously close to Logan's again. Closing his eyes Logan fought to control the thoughts swirling around in his head. In spite of himself, he felt his restraint waning, his mind filled with images of Scott over him, underneath him and wrapped up in a forbidden dance Logan hadn't experienced in quite some time. Still, in knowing how much younger than him Scott was Logan fought to be the voice of reason in the moment, "Scott, you need to stop teasing me."

"Who said anything about teasing?" Scott questioned brazenly. His fingers twisted in Logan's hair gripping tighter when his mouth plummeted in over Logan's kissing him as if it was the most important task in the world. His left hand ran over Logan's chest, playing with the tiny, dark strands of hair that teased over his skin. With each touch Logan found himself forgetting about politeness in the name of animal instinct. He felt Scott's lips part inviting him inside for a taste and suddenly logic and reason flew out the window.

Reaching out Logan brought his arm around Scott's waist when a low growl built up in the back of his throat. Instinctively his tongue lashed out at Scott's kissing him with all the need and longing he'd locked away for longer than he could remember. It had been a while since Logan could recall having anyone so close to him. Then again even with the fading memories of another's touch in the back of his mind, it paled in comparison to Scott, who was so young and new, inexperienced in his own right, yet determined to set his sights on seducing Logan. Scott's grip on his hair intensified with Scott's thighs surrounding him, opening Scott's bottom up to Logan's thick, oversized fingers. He gripped and held Scott's body through the sweatpants and was pleasantly rewarded by Scott grinding his hips against Logan in an involuntary twist.

"Mmmm…." Logan murmured withdrawing from the kiss to see Scott breathless and flushed over him in the darkness. Behind his glasses Logan could sense that Scott was visibly shaken when his hips continued to writhe over Logan as if they carried a life of their own. Logan squeezed at Scott's hip wondering just how much experience his new companion truly had when he felt Scott's arousal pressed against his own, "you're playing with fire Scott."

"I'm not normally like this," Scott divulged sliding forward to kiss Logan again, "but there's something about you that I just can't shake…something that I don't want to."

"Kid, if you keep doing that," Logan brought his oversized palm over Scott's spine to still Scott's movements over him, "I can't guarantee that I'm going to be able to stop what happens next."

"Maybe I don't want you to stop," Scott wiggled his brow suggestively from behind his glasses.

"Don't tempt me," Logan warned reaching out to touch the side of Scott's face.

"It's a little too late for that, isn't it?" Scott answered brazenly dipping down to kiss Logan again. This time there was more determination and hunger behind it when Logan's arm curled around Scott's waist. Unable to take Scott in fast enough, Logan found himself pulling at the woolen turtleneck that Scott was wearing. It twisted in his fingers, remaining stubbornly in place when Logan growled again. He pulled back searching Scott's features for a moment before attempting to pull the material up over Scott's abdomen again.

"Wait," Scott breathed pulling back from the kiss in a moment of panic. He placed his hand over Logan's to push the shirt back into place before shaking his head, "I'd rather keep it on."

"I want to look at you," Logan confessed arching up to meet Scott's lips in another kiss, "If we're going to do this…"

"There's nothing to see…" Scott's words vibrated against Logan's mouth, keeping him close to him when Scott pushed Logan's hand down to his bottom, to cup and hold him in the darkness.

"I ain't interested in just seeing you," Logan arched up off of the bed until he was in a seated position with Scott in his lap, "If we're going to keep up like this I want to touch and taste you."

Scott's face grew even more flushed at Logan's words. His breathing grew more erratic, his heartbeat speeding up in such a fashion that Logan could feel it over him intoxicating his senses. Still, as with everything Scott had done in his stubbornness he seemed to think about what Logan was saying to him. He considered his options before reaching up to pull the glasses he was wearing from his face. He set them down carefully over Logan's abdomen before reaching for the bottom of the shirt he was wearing.

Logan watched silently seeing the concentration that carried over Scott's brow with his glasses off. Without them he looked even younger, far more innocent with his long, dark lashes closed tightly as Logan pondered just how far he'd fallen into insanity with Scott over him offering Logan something that Logan was quite certain he should've turned away from. However, when Scott pulled his shirt up over his chest, guiding it clumsily over his head, Logan found himself focused on the scars he'd noticed when he'd first brought the boy home with him. They'd been a sign of the battles Scott had been through, clearly a reminder of the torture that had haunted his dreams, yet after Logan had noticed them he'd simply said nothing. He'd decided that Scott's scars were his own, much like Logan's had been only unlike Logan, Scott hadn't been born a mutant with an ability to heal. Fading reminders of the pain Scott endured lingered with the pink scars over his skin taking away from the otherwise flawless lines of his youthful body. They aged him in ways that Logan didn't want to think about when the jagged, fading lines carried over his skin, yet in thinking about Scott's uneasiness to reveal himself to Logan, Logan decided not to make it an issue.

"Okay," Scott breathed reaching out to pull his glasses off of Logan's abdomen. He pulled them up to his face again, this time taking great consideration in making sure they were back in place before his hands slid up over Logan's chest. He ran his fingers over Logan's solid musculature, teasing lightly over hair and skin before Scott leaned forward to seek Logan's lips out once again.

"This is a mistake kid," Logan sighed when Scott's lips hovered over his in offering up another enticing taste of the forbidden when Scott's arms stretched out over the pillow to keep Logan in place beneath him.

"Isn't that what I should be doing at my age?" Scott replied with a small hint of teasing behind his tone, "Going out there and making mistakes with the right person?"

"That's not exactly what I had in mind when I told you that…" Logan's words were brought to an end when Scott's lips carried over him.

With each taste Scott offered Logan in his kiss, Logan found himself surrounded by all the enthusiasm and encouragement that he needed to flip Scott over on his bed. Logan hovered over him, catching the way that Scott's breathing grew uneven with want coursing through his veins. Logan could smell the lust consume Scott, could practically taste it radiating off of Scott's skin when he leaned in closer to Scott. He felt a small groan carry over Scott's lips, bouncing off into his when he thought of his weight over Scott. He pulled back, attempting to keep himself at a safe distance when he brushed his fingers up over Scott's arm, feeling the warmth of Scott's skin against his touch.

"Logan," Scott breathed his name, tipping his head back just enough to expose his neck to Logan again.

"This is crazy," Logan mouthed when his lips dropped down to kiss the side of Scott's neck. He ran the tip of his tongue over Scott's pulse point, tasting desire pouring out from Scott's skin when Scott twisted beneath him on the bed. Unlike the timid boy Scott had appeared to be when he'd entered the bar nearly frozen to death, he now seemed determined and ready in wanting to explore the idea of passion with Logan. Reaching down Logan traced his fingers over Scott's side to feel the smooth skin against his touch. He felt a combination of scarred flesh, muscle and bone beneath him serving as a reminder of just how thin Scott was. When he curled his thumb and index finger around Scott's side, he was surprised at how easy the motion had been for him. Even in his lean musculature Scott was thinner than he should've appeared at his age, which served as another sign of the effects the weather had upon him.

"So what?" Scott had panted twisting beneath Logan on the bed when Logan reached up to touch the side of Scott's face.

"You're awfully brave for being so young," Logan noted seeing the way that Scott's lips parted in invitation, tempting Logan all over again when Logan reached up to touch Scott's glasses. He attempted to pull them off when Scott quickly seized Logan's wrist.

"These stay. Unlike the shirt there's no negotiating on this one," Scott pleaded desperately, his words coming out in a panic when Logan felt Scott stiffen beneath him.

"I want to look at your face," Logan argued attempting to pull the glasses off of Scott again.

"No," Scott shook his head firmly, "I can't see without them."

"It's dark in here. The light won't bother you," Logan attempted to coax Scott into offering him another taste of the angelic face Logan had already found himself coveting.

"I can't," Scott tensed up suddenly on edge in ways that Logan hadn't anticipated, "the glasses must stay."

"Scott?" Logan felt Scott squeeze his wrist tighter in a moment of panic.

"I need them Logan," Scott gulped down harder, his voice cracked with uneasiness when Logan pulled back, "Please, can you just forget they are here right now when we…?"

"There's something else," Logan noted when the air between them grew tense. The scent of lust had been replaced by an overwhelming fear when Scott attempted to scoot out from Logan's grasp. Immediately recognizing the panic that carried over Scott, Logan moved back to his side of the bed. He watched Scott closely in seeing the way that Scott's hands clasped at the sides of his face in a desperate grip.

"Scott, what's going on?" Logan questioned watching Scott bury his face in his hands. He was suddenly shaking, trembling with a combination of fear and anguish when he brought his legs up to his chest. The movement made Scott look far younger than Logan liked in watching the man beside him burst into tears again, "Hey…"

"I can't take them off Logan," Scott bellowed burying his face further in his hands, "I wish that I could, but without them I can't see you and…"

"Hey," Logan softened his tone when he tentatively reached out to touch Scott's shoulder, "it's okay. I won't make you take them off."

"My scars are one thing to try to hide, but these…" Scott choked up on his emotions. He continued to sob as he wrapped his arms around his legs to hold onto something, "this won't ever go away. This can't change."

"What can't change?" Logan questioned releasing Scott and pushing his fingers through his own dark hair. In seeing Scott's tears he wanted to kick himself, to condemn his actions for thinking someone like Scott was ready for the kind of encounter they'd entered into with one another. However, Logan hadn't given it any real thought to consequence. He'd merely given in to instinct and desire in wanting to have a taste of Scott. Now with Scott in tears, he found himself wishing he could have a do over between them.

"I'm a freak Logan," Scott blurted out when he raised his chin up with a poignant defiance. He puffed his cheeks out in an attempt to calm himself, but his emotions gave him away, "that's why everyone is afraid of me. If it wasn't for Charles finding me when he did, then there's no telling what I could've done to the world around me."

"Charles," Logan repeated wondering about the man Scott had mentioned a couple of times in their conversations.

"He found me when I was so very lost. He helped me and gave me these," Scott pointed to the glasses on his face, "because without them I'm a danger to myself and the world around me."

"You don't seem like a danger to me," Logan wrinkled his nose at Scott's words, "You look like a kid, who is lost and in need of finding his way home."

"I'm not a kid Logan," Scott's lips curved downward in the beginnings of a frown, "I already told you that…"

"That you're an adult," Logan finished with a small nod, "I'm well aware of that Scott because if I didn't feel that way, then I never would have allowed things between us to get to this point given that…"

"I like you Logan," Scott tipped his head to the side and looked to Logan again from behind the glasses he was wearing, "but the truth is that I can't take these glasses off because if I did, well, there's no telling what could happen. If I'm not careful I could hurt you."

"Hurt me?" Logan repeated with a small laugh, "Kiddo, you have no idea what kind of person I am. If you think about it there's nothing you have to worry about with me considering that…"

"I'm a mutant Logan," Scott blurted out. He scooted back onto the far edge of the bed in bracing himself for Logan's inevitable bad reaction to the news, "You know the people you've heard about on television? I'm one of them."

"I don't have a television," Logan offered up beyond his initial stunned silence. Suddenly everything started making sense. With Scott's glasses and his martial arts skills as a means of protecting himself, it became clear that there was something beyond the surface. Looking to the glasses again Logan pondered just what mutation Scott was hiding behind his eyes.

"Even so it doesn't make me any less of a threat to the world around me," Scott explained nervously. He shuddered when Logan reached out for him, as if the movement in itself would cause him some kind of pain in his declaration. Sensing Scott's fear Logan pulled back and pondered his options in the moment.

"So you're a mutant," Logan repeated drawing in an uneasy breath.

Scott nodded, "I live at a place where there are others like me, well, not exactly like me, but with people who have mutations as well."

"I see," Logan nodded looking to the nightstand beyond where the bed. Stretching out across the blankets he reached for the lamp and turning it on. Light surrounded them in the room pulling Logan back to the moment in seeing Scott on the opposite side of the bed looking more frightened than he had back in the bar when the others had attempted to attack him, "and the others you were with when your mission went awry were they mutants as well?"

Scott nodded, "We were out here looking for other mutants. It was supposed to be a simple mission, but then there were people waiting for us. They wanted to hurt us and…"

"Then you landed on my doorstep so to speak," Logan's thoughts consumed him when he felt Scott shift on the bed beside him.

"As long as I have my glasses on you'll be safe, but without them…" Scott's words tapered off.

"You can't hurt me kid," Logan replied thinking about his own abilities when Scott shivered beside him.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of Logan. I leveled my first high school without even trying," Scott divulged when he squeezed his legs in closer to his chest before attempting to pull his thoughts together, "I'll understand if you want me to leave now."

"In this storm," Logan frowned focusing on Scott again, "I wouldn't dream of having you go out there on your own."

"I can take care of myself. As I said I'm a…" Scott hesitated as uneasiness enveloped him.

"…a mutant, but from what I've seen that doesn't make you immune to pain or hypothermia," Logan remarked bringing his right hand up over his left one to rub at his own knuckles when he thought of the times in the past he'd condemned himself for being different. It was something that had kept him isolated from the world around him in always wanting to keep others around him at arm's length, but in seeing Scott before him with the same fears consuming him Logan felt as if he'd finally found a piece of the puzzle that was locked inside of his mind. In seeing Scott so fearful of his abilities, Logan couldn't help, but wonder if Scott had also encountered the prejudices that Logan had seen on the road over the last couple of years.

"That's because that's not what my mutation is," Scott explained pointedly in a voice the felt well-rehearsed and drilled into his head over and over again, "we each have our own powers, some greater than others. Each one of us is unique in their own way and…"

"The others?" Logan questioned raising a curious brow, "Are there many of you?"

"I'm sure there are a lot more out there than we realize," Scott nodded when the tension faded from his features, "Charles sent us out here to look for a few of them that were supposed to be in the area, but as I said…"

"…you were met by an attack," Logan frowned at the realization of what Scott was saying to him, "What kind of attack?"

"There were soldiers," Scott explained drawing in a breath, "There were so many of them that we weren't able to keep them at bay. They just started attacking us and…"

"And what?" Logan watched Scott tremble beside him.

"I tried to fight them, to keep my team together, but then something happened," Scott sucked in a sharp breath, "There was this man-this monster that I knew before and…"

"What man?" Logan questioned feeling a panic set in over him when Scott sucked in a sharp breath.

"I didn't know his name at the time, but I remembered his face," Scott gulped down so hard that Logan could see his throat bounce with fear, "He was there when they almost killed me. He was the man who…"

"Who what?" Logan questioned reaching out to touch Scott's leg in spite of the situation that was taking place between them.

"That abducted me and held me captive," Scott explained tipping his head to the side to face Logan fully, "I couldn't remember his name at the time, but now…well, now I know it was him."

"Who?" Logan questioned.

"William Stryker," Scott blurted out with a tiny shudder. He looked around the room in a panic as thoughts about the battle he'd walked away from came clearer into focus after the cold had faded from his mind, "He was there for me. He wanted to take me. That's why the jet went down. He took us under because he knew I was there. It had nothing to do with the others, but rather he was seeking me out."

"Why? What would the military want with someone like you?" Logan prompted him further, "You're just a kid."

"I'm dangerous Logan," Scott motioned to the glasses he was wearing, "They knew that when they held me captive before. They experimented on me and…"

"Experimented," Logan repeated feeling a tiny shudder overtake him. Releasing his hand he eyed Scott wearily, "what kind of experiments?"

"I don't remember," Scott shuddered when he reached for the pillow behind him. He brought it up over his chest, clenching it tighter than before when he looked to Logan again, "I just remember bits and pieces of the torture. I can see their faces, feel their hands on me when they were doing their experiments, but…"

"Experiments," Logan repeated looking down to his hands again when he felt the flash of the nightmare that he'd been surrounded by for the last couple of years coming into his subconscious all over again.

"They took a bunch of us from our homes. They were testing on us, but Charles saved us from the nightmare. He found us and provided us with a new life that was…" Scott stopped himself when realization dawned in upon him, "You're taking this better than I'd imagined you would. Why?"

"Maybe I have an open mind," Logan suggested with a small shrug of his shoulders, "Maybe it's because I find you attractive."

"No," Scott shook his head firmly, "That's not it."

"Why not?" Logan questioned gruffly when he lowered his hands onto the mattress again.

"Because I saw you get shot in that bar," Scott stated plainly when it was clear to Logan the wheels were turning in Scott's mind, "You were on the ground in a pool of blood and…"

"I told you that you were hallucinating kiddo," Logan scoffed in an attempt to play down the situation, "what you think you saw was…"

"Exactly what I saw, but you tried to write it off as nothing," Scott deduced with a small gasp, "You tried to pretend that I didn't see what I saw, but I did. I wasn't wrong because you're one of us, aren't you?"

"Excuse me," Logan blinked back at him.

"You're a mutant, aren't you?" Scott questioned almost triumphantly when his focus returned to Logan, "That's it, isn't it? That's why I felt so drawn to you from the start because you're like me."

"I'm nothing like you kid, which is all the reason in the world why bringing you here wasn't a good idea," Logan decided feeling the weight of the conversation upon him. He kicked his legs out from beneath the blankets and pulled himself out of the bed, "this was a mistake."

"No," Scott shook his head firmly, "it wasn't."

"Yes, it was," Logan walked over to the bedroom door to put a distance between him and Scott, "and as soon as the weather permits we'll find a way to get you home again."

"Not until you tell me the truth Logan," Scott sprung up out of the bed to follow Logan out of the bedroom much to Logan's dismay. He could hear the sound of Scott's footsteps rapidly moving in on him when Logan stopped in the living room. He turned around to see Scott following him with a newfound determination in his quest to validate his hypothesis about Logan.

"They shot you at the bar, didn't they?" Scott demanded an answer as Logan folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Do you see any marks on me?" Logan tossed back at him flippantly.

"Well no, but…" Scott's chin dipped down when it became clear that he was surveying Logan's body for any sign of the violent confrontation. Dropping his arms down at his sides Logan offered up a more direct view in giving Scott the opportunity to take all of him in.

"Well?" Logan raised a skeptic brow in seeing the way that Scott's lips smacked together with intense scrutiny.

"I know what I saw Logan and even with the way the cold doesn't faze you," Scott raised his head up again to look Logan in the eye-at least that was the idea Logan suspected Scott was trying to convey behind his glasses, "There's no other explanation."

"It's been a long night Scott," Logan replied stiffly. He took a step in closer to Scott. Unable to help himself, his gaze gravitated to Scott's mouth in thinking about all the things he'd imagined doing to Scott in the moment before Scott had felt uneasy enough to reveal the truth about himself, "You should get some rest."

"Tell me that I'm wrong Logan," Scott dared him. He took a brazen step forward watching as Logan attempted to brush him off, "Tell me that I'm really crazy and that you aren't what I think you are."

"What does it matter?" Logan threw his hands up in the air, "Scott, what is the big deal in you finding other mutants?"

"Because it proves that we aren't alone," Scott blurted out with an air of desperation in his tone, "That maybe there are others out there like me who have found ways of living with what we are."

"You have that at the school Scott. You told me yourself that there are others who…" Logan stopped himself when Scott slumped his shoulders dejectedly.

"They already think I'm a freak and who can blame them," Scott mouthed when he stepped in closer to the light. The combination of moonlight and snow drew emphasis to the scarring along his chest. There were scratches, long and drawn out, followed by a faint pink ring around Scott's neck indicating that someone had tried to restrain him. It looked as if they'd tried to damn near take his neck and head off by the direction of the scarring when Logan's focus returned to the marks across Scott's chest and abdomen. There was something about them, something familiar that caused Logan to tremble inside when he took in an uncertain breath, "I scare myself sometimes."

"Why?" Logan questioned watching Scott's posture change when he brought his arms around his slender frame to hide his body once again.

"Because I know what I'm capable of and if I don't have complete control," Scott paused when his lower lip trembled, "I could destroy everything. If I even attempt to look at someone without the glasses I'll kill them."

"You can't turn it off?" Logan asked watching as Scott shook his head.

"No, I wish I could, but where was an accident when I was younger," Scott explained drawing in a breath, "Colors are lost on me. I only see shades of red, but if it wasn't for Charles I wouldn't be able to even open my eyes and see the world around me. I could see clearly once, but once my powers emerged…well, this became my reality. "

Logan stood silent watching Scott surround himself in misery. His fear and dejection was enough to cause Logan to feel something inside of him that he hadn't felt in a very long time. Knowing what Scott had endured simply in having experienced his own trauma through the years, Logan found himself wanting to reach out and hold the younger man. However, in denying his own mutation Logan had placed an unwelcome distance between them. It was all around them, taking the comfort level they'd felt with one another to something far from what Logan had anticipated in bringing Scott home with him.

"This is mine," Logan stepped back and lowered his head. He took in an uneasy breath when he lowered his arms to show Scott the true power he carried with him. The pain burned at his body, pouring out into his hands when his claws extended to reveal the metal blades he'd carried inside of him hidden from the rest of the world until his rage got the best of him. Wincing Logan tried to control the agony he'd felt momentarily carry over his body when the blades extended. He thought to the times he'd fought to keep himself hidden, to pretend that he could pass as normal, but now in standing before Scott he realized there would be no hiding from the monster he truly was. Raising his chin he anticipated seeing fear consume Scott, to have Scott turn away in a panic, but instead Scott looked to him with a newfound interest.

"Do they…do they hurt?" Scott questioned making a small tentative step towards Logan.

"Every time," Logan divulged taking a step back to keep a safe distance between him and Scott just in case Scott thought about touching him, "you?"

"Always," Scott confessed softening his tone. Suddenly in the moonlight Scott seemed older, more broken down by life when Scott reached up to touch his own perfectly sculpted cheek, "I've lived the last few years of my life with an exponentially maddening, continual migraine headache. At first it was unbearable, but now, well now I just deal with it."

"Deal with it," Logan repeated with a frown when his claws retracted into his body again. He exhaled sharply when Scott stood before him reaching out to take Logan's hand in his. His fingers traced over the lingering remains of blood that carried over the smooth knuckles beneath his touch.

"Isn't that what you do?" Scott questioned rubbing his index finger between Logan's knuckles with a genuine interest. The massaging movement caused Logan's pulse to quicken, his mind to return to the bed where they'd almost given in to temptation with one another. Raising his head up, Logan looked to the way Scott studied him, taking in all he could about Logan's mutation while his fingers caressed the hands that most people Logan crossed paths with feared.

"It's not like I have much of a choice," Logan shrugged off Scott's concerns when Scott reached for a hand towel that was on Logan's counter. He brushed it across Logan's knuckles to wipe away the traces of blood that carried over Logan's skin.

"And when they go back, you heal?" Scott asked tilting his head up to meet Logan's eyes again.

Logan nodded, "It's another part of my mutation."

"So when you were shot in the bar," Scott half questioned when he rubbed his finger across the top of Logan's hand.

"It didn't faze me-at least not for long," Logan admitted with a breath of relief carrying over his lips, "I don't know how or why, but I've been this way for as long as I can remember. It's just who I am."

"So you were born this way," Scott half questioned leaning down to press his lips over the top of Logan's hand. His soft lips traced over Logan's skin, unafraid and unconcerned about the violence that was buried beneath Logan's hands. Instead he was merely a boy with a curiosity and a warmth that Logan hadn't been present his life for so very long.

"I don't know," Logan confessed somberly as Scott released Logan's hand in order to discard the towel he'd been holding, "I don't remember."

"What do you mean?" Scott questioned as Logan pulled away from him to place a distance between them.

"I just woke up like this one morning," Logan explained moving into the kitchen to reach for a small tea kettle, "I don't know the hows or whys, but I was where I was and I had to deal with all of this."

"So you're saying that…" Scott followed him once again.

"I don't remember," Logan raised his voice in agitation, "There are bits and pieces every now and then, but for the most part it's just a blur."

"How long has it been that way?" Scott inquired watching Logan closely.

"I don't know," Logan shrugged his shoulders, "a few years maybe. When I woke up someone told me my name was Logan."

"That's it?" Scott questioned watching as Logan filled the tea kettle and placed it on his tiny, old stove.

"That's it," Logan nodded, "the world was in chaos around me and I didn't stick around for the authorities to find out what happened. All I remember was waking up on this island by a broken down generator and…"

"And what?" Scott asked moving into the kitchen.

"Nothing," Logan shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. Sometimes I have dreams."

"What kind of dreams?" Scott prompted him further, "Like mine?"

"You mean nightmares?" Logan asked when Scott nodded, "Sometimes, but they don't make much sense. I feel myself immersed in water, surrounded by pain and these people, yet…"

"What?" Scott questioned.

"It doesn't matter," Logan decided firmly when he felt the weight of Scott's concern hanging over him, "It's not a part of who I am now."

"Maybe not, but at the same time my finding you could be the answer to all of your prayers," Scott decided standing up taller when a thought carried over his features.

"I ain't religious kid," Logan mouthed when the tea kettle he'd put on began to sound in a low whistle.

"Neither am I, but at the same time what I'm trying to say is that maybe we can help each other," Scott suggested bridging the distance between them, "If you help me find my way back home, then you can come with me. You can meet Charles and he can help you. He's a powerful mutant that…"

"I'm not looking to join some kind of cult," Logan wrinkled his nose at Scott's suggestion, "Even if you think it's a place for mutants, I'm not seeking out some kind of messiah who…"

"He can help you with your memories," Scott blurted out in the midst of Logan's refusal, "He's incredibly gifted and he knows things. He has means of helping someone tap inside their memories to…"

"No thanks," Logan wrinkled his nose at Scott's suggestion, "I've already had too many people trying to tap into my subconscious and you can clearly see the result."

"How do you know?" Scott challenged with a determination carrying over his lips, "What do you know of your past?"

"Enough to see that if it was worth remembering then I would," Logan pointed out with a frown, "Look, Scott, I'll help you find your way to get back home, but as for my situation…"

"You can't tell me that you prefer this," Scott looked around Logan's tiny cabin, "I mean this place is nice and all, but at the same time it has to be lonely out here."

"I get by," Logan tensed up when Scott moved around his living room to take in their surroundings.

"But why not go for something more?" Scott spun around to face him again, "Why not be with others that are like you?"

"There's no one like me Scott," Logan informed him with a sudden seriousness in his voice, "I'm not a good person."

"How can you say that?" Scott inquired with confusion carrying over his face, "You took in a stranger and offered to help them in not knowing what they were…"

"You didn't exactly look threatening kid," Logan tossed back at him flippantly.

"Even so you had no idea what could happen when you brought me here. You didn't know anything about my past other than I needed help," Scott moved in closer to him again. When he stood before Logan he reached for Logan's hand and offered up a small squeeze, "You didn't ask questions or hesitate to help me when I needed you."

"Maybe that was because I thought you had a pretty face," Logan mouthed with a shrug when Scott interlaced their fingers with one another.

"No, it was more than that," Scott paused in thinking about what Logan had said to him, "but you really think I have a pretty face?"

"Remarkable," Logan confessed surprising himself with his word selection when he reached out to touch Scott's perfectly sculpted cheekbone. From beneath the glasses, Logan could feel the smooth, shapely contour against his touch, drawing him in when Scott pushed his fingers up over Logan's arm in a simple caress. The movement created goose bumps on Logan's flesh when he inched in closer to Scott, "I've never seen anyone more beautiful in my life."

"That you can remember," Scott corrected as Logan's arm wrapped around Scott's waist to pull him in against Logan's chest.

"I'm pretty certain ever," Logan dismissed Scott's words when he pressed Scott in against the long, off-white colored countertop separating the kitchen from the modest seating area Logan had set up for his meals. He squeezed his fingers over Scott's hip feeling Scott immediately respond to him when their lips collided once again.

"I'll bet you say that to all the strangers who happen to walk into your favorite bar," Scott murmured as they parted. He pulled back to take in Logan's response to his nearness.

"That place is a dump," Logan shrugged simply when he picked Scott up in his arms and guided him onto the countertop, "It's nothing special."

"Even so great things can come from less than savory beginnings," Scott replied scooting back on the countertop as Logan reached out to touch Scott's shoulder.

"You aren't afraid of me, are you?" Logan questioned watching as Scott spread his legs out over the side of the counter to allow Logan the opportunity to slide in closer to him.

"No," Scott stated plainly, "why would I be?"

"I think I've shown you plenty of reason to be afraid," Logan murmured unable to resist the scent of Scott before him. He stepped in closer bringing his lips over the side of Scott's neck in a chaste press of a kiss.

"So have I," Scott's arms curled around Logan's back squeezing him in closer to him, "there are plenty of people who would run away from someone like me."

"There are others who would just as soon avoid someone like me Scott," Logan stood upright as Scott dropped his head back to give Logan easier access to his neck.

"I'm not afraid of you Logan," Scott repeated sliding back on the countertop against Logan's urgings.

Reaching out Logan ran his fingers over Scott's chest, taking in the lean musculature. With every movement he made Scott descended over the counter, stretching his long, lean torso out for Logan in a savory display. Bringing his arms up over his head, Scott stretched them up behind his head to simply settle in over the counter when Logan's index finger teased over Scott's naval in a light brush. The movement caused Scott to tremble before him when Logan leaned forward to place a kiss over the center of Scott's chest.

"Logan," Scott breathed Logan's name in a tight hiss, his voice carrying the weight of desire when Logan's lips tapered off over his body, tongue moving in teasing flicks over Scott's skin. The movement caused Scott to spring to life beneath Logan, emerging as the primitive, sexual creature that Logan had once known in himself. He watched as Scott writhed beneath him caught up in the rush of thrill in having Logan's hands over him. His beautiful lips parted, mouth releasing an erotic sigh when Logan's lips surrounded Scott's nipple. He sank his teeth into the muscled flesh feeling Scott arch up off of the counter into Logan's mouth. A whine rose from the back of his throat when Logan licked a hot, wet line over Scott's flesh causing him to whimper.

"You sure you've never done this before?" Logan questioned watching as Scott arched up off of the countertop in a wild, wanton fashion. When he felt Scott moan in encouragement his hand dropped down between Scott's thighs to massage him through the sweatpants he was wearing.

"No," Scott panted heavily. His body began twisting in a jolt of pleasure when Logan's fingers played over his hardening flesh, "never."

"You don't seem like a beginner," Logan whispered placing tiny kisses over his skin, tapering off over Scott's chest, sliding down over his abdomen as Logan took in taste after intoxicating taste of the man before him.

"I'm a quick learner," Scott breathed bringing one hand out from underneath him to reach for Logan's shoulder. He squeezed into Logan's flesh causing a momentary pinch of pain followed by pleasure when Logan's fingers pushed at the waistband of the sweatpants he'd let Scott borrow.

"That's encouraging," Logan placed a line of kisses just beneath Scott's navel, sliding his tongue over a sensitive patch of skin when he dragged the material in his fingers down over Scott's hip. The movement caused Scott's skin to grow flushed in enough of a visual display to cause Logan's mind to go on sensory overload when Scott whimpered.

"Logan I…" Scott gulped down raising himself up on his elbows when Logan used his firm grip to tear Scott's sweatpants and boxer shorts down past his hips sliding down to his knees to reveal Scott before him. Naked and aroused Scott seemed paler than Logan had imagined, appearing every bit as vulnerable and determined when he looked at Logan, watching him behind those ruby colored glasses with a gasp carrying over his lips.

"It's not too late to change your mind Scott," Logan explained with fingers sliding up over the inside of Scott's thighs.

"I don't want to change my mind," Scott whimpered when Logan's fingers surrounded him in the first erotic taste of pleasure to follow. With Logan's hand upon him and lips teasing over Scott's skin, Scott arched back into the countertop with a whimpering plea. His hips twisted with arousal enticing Logan in ways he hadn't thought possible when he dropped kiss after teasing kiss over Scott's hip.

"Last chance," Logan blew a warm breath over Scott's skin in thinking about the line he was about to cross with the beautiful stranger he'd happened upon. It had been so very long since he'd felt any kind of connection with someone, yet with Scott before him eager and ready to be taken Logan couldn't help, but give in to temptation.

"I know," Scott breathed falling back onto the counter when Logan's lips surrounded him in the first erotic taste of passion. Immediately Scott cried out, body filled with life and desire when Logan's mouth slid over Scott's length taking in taste after intoxicating taste of the man that had tempted him. He felt Scott twist beneath him revealing the depths of his inexperience as Logan's grip on him increased. Judging by the eagerness of Scott's hips, Logan realized Scott hadn't been lying. His newness to the situation was only further intensified by his eagerness when he pushed himself into Logan's mouth, hips impatient and frantic in ways that only youth could bring upon a man. Still undeterred by Scott's enthusiasm Logan continued to taste and tease him, gripping Scott's hip with his fingers while pushing over Scott's skin in teasing flicks of his tongue until finally Scott tensed up beneath him on the countertop. He let out a pinched cry, his voice escaping him when Logan's lips surrounded Scott more completely to take in the first release that carried over Scott in those few moments of escape. Wrapping his hand around Scott's thigh Logan closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Scott's pinched voice, taking in each and every vibrating shudder until finally Scott seemed to melt against the countertop lost in a sea of pleasure and release.

"Logan," Scott breathed Logan's name restlessly as Logan looked up to see Scott reaching for his flushed cheek. Logan pulled back placing one last kiss over Scott's softening flesh before moving in closer to the younger man before him.

"It's time for bed," Logan whispered placing a kiss over Scott's cheek before scooping Scott up into his arms. He could see the confusion carrying in over Scott upon realizing what he'd allowed to happen. It was there on the tip of his tongue, fighting its way out beyond Scott's lips, but instead Logan simply cradled Scott in against his chest in guiding him up off of the countertop. Once he felt Scott's arms surround him, Logan walked over to the stove and turned the water off that was now loudly howling within the steaming tea pot. Finally with Scott leaning in against his chest, Logan carried Scott back into his bedroom knowing that whether he wanted it or not life had just changed for him in ways he knew he'd never be able to recover from now that Scott had become a part of his life.


	3. Chapter 3

The warmth of sunlight carried over Logan's bedroom as Scott twisted around in Logan's bed to reach out across the blankets. With an exaggerated breath upon his lips he attempted to touch Logan, but found himself met by the coldness of an empty bed beside him. Frowning Scott opened his eyes behind his glasses to discover that Logan's side of the bed was sloppily thrown together in what Scott suspected was a quick attempt at Logan leaving the room without waking Scott.

"Where did you go?" Scott questioned taking in a breath and twisting on the blankets. His head sank back into the pillow as he closed his eyes beneath his glasses to think about the night before. He could recall the way that he and Logan had kissed one another in this very bed. They'd shared an intense exchange before Scott had panicked about having his glasses removed. After that he'd learned that Logan was a mutant just like him. It was a shocking, yet welcome discovery as Scott thought about what it would mean to return to the school with Logan.

"Charles can help you," Scott could remember himself attempting to appeal to Logan again after they'd found their way back into Logan's bed with one another.

"We'll see," Logan had stated to simply placate him when they'd settled in together on the bed. Scott had known it at the time, but he wasn't giving up. He was convinced he could still find a way to help Logan find himself in returning with him. However, Scott was well aware that Logan would need plenty of convincing and Scott decided he'd find a way to make it happen. Then again at the time Scott hadn't been too worried about school given that Logan had given him plenty of other things to think about.

Feeling his face grow hot Scott thought back to the way Logan had touched and enticed him in offering up a seduction that went well beyond anything Scott had experienced before. At first Scott had been blown away by the way Logan had touched and teased him in the kitchen. His touch and tongue had brought Scott to an end of self-control in losing himself completely to Logan in ways he'd never experienced before. At first he'd been embarrassed in knowing he hadn't been able to hold off in his release, yet Logan seemed unaffected by Scott's obvious lack of experience. Instead he'd seemed doting and considerate in taking Scott back to the bedroom where Scott had anticipated something more happening between them beyond what they'd shared, but Logan had simply urged Scott to sleep before the journey they would take with one another.

Now alone in Logan's bed, Scott couldn't help, but wonder if Logan had changed his mind. Sitting up Scott looked around the room thinking about all the changes that had taken place in his life. A few weeks ago he had been desperate for Jean's attention, doing everything in his power to get her to notice him, yet the previous evening he'd offered himself up to Logan readily anticipating the thought of being with Logan in every way imaginable. That thought in itself was an uncomfortable one as Scott thought about his own sexuality. Before Logan it hadn't come into question, but after he'd encountered Logan there had been something that had changed inside of him. He'd felt a sense of familiarity, an ease that he couldn't quite explain as he found himself wanting to give his all to the man who had saved his life.

"It's not just gratitude," Scott reminded himself when he thought of how Logan had stepped up to save him. Never before had he experienced such a raw, profound reaction to someone, yet in knowing that Logan wanted him just as much as Scott had wanted Logan it made things easier.

"It feels right," Scott admitted turning on his side to run his fingers over Logan's side of the bed in wondering if he'd get a second chance at trying to see where things would go between him and Logan. Never before had Scott found himself thinking so sexual in terms of the way he carried himself, yet in remembering the way it felt to have Logan's hands and mouth over him, Scott found himself wanting to experiencing a whole hell of a lot more with the man in his life.

"I'm not a good guy Scott," Logan had warned him, yet in thinking about the tone that Logan had set the night before Scott knew that simply wasn't the case. A bad man would've taken advantage and pushed Scott beyond his comfort zone, but Logan had taken his time in warming Scott up to the idea of them being together. Once they'd settled into bed Logan had kissed him slow and leisurely. He'd taken his time in exploring Scott's mouth and his face while he held Scott in his arms. It was wildly erotic in having the brush of Logan's stubble against his cheek, in feeling the power of Logan's arms around him when they kissed one another in ways that Scott was certain he'd never experience again with anyone else. Their kisses had resulted in more touching, in more teasing when Scott had attempted to reach out and hold Logan in his palm just as Logan had done with Scott. However, Logan had simply pulled Scott's hand to his cheek once again in offering up a small kiss before suggesting Scott rest. It hadn't at all been what Scott had anticipated, but he realized he'd needed it as he'd fallen asleep on Logan's chest.

Now alone in Logan's bedroom Scott decided it was time to get up and out of bed to see where they stood on their mission to find the others. A part of Scott wished that he could simply discard responsibility and forget about the others. If only he had met Logan at a different point in his life when people weren't depending on him, then things would be different. He'd be able to be toss caution to the wind and stay with Logan, alone in his cabin away from the rest of the world. A smile carried over his lips when he thought about the kind of reckless responsibility that he'd welcomed into his life. Yes, so maybe it was a foolish dream, but in being around Logan it put Scott at ease in ways he hadn't felt at the school.

"Scott," he could almost hear Charles chastise him in his mind, "you have to remember your responsibility. You must stay focused."

"I'll find the others," Scott promised himself when he pushed the blankets aside and stepped out of bed. He realized he was still naked from the night before and suddenly he felt on edge. He looked around the room thinking about raiding Logan's closet to see if anything would fit, but instead he simply reached for a blanket in wrapping it around himself. Once he had a sheet secured around his waist, he approached the door and opened it in the hopes of speaking with Logan again.

"Logan?" Scott questioned fighting to suppress that yawn that carried over his lips when he felt himself surrounded by sunlight. He made his way down the hallway, taking step after cautious step when suddenly he realized that Logan was nowhere in sight. With a frown he entered the kitchen only to discover a piece of paper with dark writing on it on the countertop where he'd been laid out the night before all Logan's for the taking.

"Where are you?" Scott yawned again when he reached for the paper. His eyes skimmed the page to discover Logan had left him a quick note about attempting to go into town to get a few supplies for them before they made their way out into the winter madness that surrounded them. He let Scott know there were a few things in the refrigerator if Scott was interested in a bite to eat, but beyond that Logan left no other instructions for Scott in his time alone.

"You should've taken me with you," Scott frowned placing the note back down on the counter. He tipped his head up to look at the oversized window beyond where he stood. Although it was bright in the room, the window was completely covered by snow to reveal nothing more about his surroundings.

With a frown Scott crossed the room to take a look out of the other side of the cabin that he'd determined early on was on a hill. When he spotted the snow falling outside of the window in a wild, winter haze, he realized that things hadn't eased up overnight. Instead they continued to come down with a rage and intensity that only nature could provide in its fury. It was bitter and biting leaving frost on the window before him, yet as Scott thought of his fallen teammates he hoped and prayed that they had found their way out of the storm into the safety that someone like Logan provide.

"Please be alright," Scott whispered to himself as he wondered if the other would be found. He closed his eyes and thought of Charles and the school hoping that someone would discover what had happened. He wondered if Charles would put together a search party and if so, would they think that Scott was still alive and out there waiting to be found? Then again as he thought of his time with Logan, he wondered if going back was really what was right for him when he'd known all along that despite Charles and his best efforts Scott was still very much an outsider. He was feared and tormented, taken from the ranks of his classmates as an outsider. He'd tried with them, but with the exception of Jean, he knew that wouldn't ever change. They'd seen him as a freak and an outcast, someone that they had no intention of getting to know better. Instead they'd taunted and teased him in reminding him that he wouldn't ever be like the rest of them.

"Who needs them?" Scott had told himself time and time again when he'd felt the walls of isolation growing around him. He'd been so used to being alone for so very long that when Jean had decided to take to him, he'd readily embraced her attention. She'd been special, been someone who had treated him as an equal. She was his best friend in the world, so when he'd started to feel something for her, it only made sense that she would feel the same. Unfortunately he'd learned the hard way that her tastes hadn't stayed upon him. She'd found herself with someone how had more stability, a background with money and the confidence that he lacked. Yes, Jean had been interested in hearing Scott's thoughts and listening to him talk, but he was no prize in having nothing to offer to the world around him except misery and fear.

"But Logan's not afraid of you," Scott reminded himself when he thought about the night he and Logan had shared with one another. It wasn't at all what Scott had anticipated, but now that Scott had a taste, he couldn't help, but find his thoughts turning to Logan again and again in wondering just where things were headed between them. Yes, Logan had stopped them from going too far with one another, but when Scott closed his eyes remembering the way Logan had touched him, he knew he'd wanted more. He wanted Logan in every way imaginable and even if it was wrong he didn't see that ending anytime soon.

xxxxx

"I had a feeling you'd be stopping by soon once I heard trouble was in town," the same familiar voice greeted Logan when Jonas Moore looked up from his half smoked cigar to discover Logan standing in the doorway to his pawn shop, "I knew it was only a matter of time."

"I need a favor," Logan explained lowering his voice when his eyes searched around the pawn shop. Once he'd discovered that it was empty he stood up taller and returned his focus to the gray-haired man who stood behind the counter.

"When don't you Logan?" Jonas chewed on the end of his cigar again before motioning to the room in the back of the pawn shop, "Come on in for a drink. It doesn't look like this damn storm is going to keep any business coming my way today."

"It's brutal," Logan noted thinking about the weather he'd braved to make his way into town.

Holding the brown paper bag in his hand that he'd picked up from the thrift store on his way in, Logan followed Jonas into the back to the same table they'd sat at time after time with one another. Looking to the faded deck of cards on the table, Logan couldn't help, but smile in thinking about their endless poker games. They always ended the same in Jonas accusing Logan of cheating before the two exchanged shouts and drank shots with one another until Jonas was ready to pass out. It had become a ritual for them since Logan had first entered town in need of some quick cash. Jonas Moore, like Logan, had been a bit of an outsider in coming from America. He'd been a retired Navy Seal before he'd found his way up north for the quiet life. Of course things hadn't gone as planned when a distant relative of his late wife's had fallen ill. The couple had moved into town intending to simply help the relative, but when he'd passed on leaving the pawn shop to Jonas, he couldn't refuse in honoring the dead man's wishes. Years had passed on leaving Jonas to live a life unfulfilled especially after his wife had fallen to cancer, yet Jonas kept the shop running in the hopes of honoring the memory of a man he barely knew.

"You in some kind of trouble this time kid?" Jonas questioned biting down on his cigar again.

"No more than usual," Logan shrugged his shoulders as Jonas pulled out a bottle of bourbon he'd always kept on reserve for their encounters. When he pulled two glasses out from underneath the counter, he motioned for Logan to take a seat at one of the chairs, "You know how I try to keep myself out of the nonsense that takes place around town."

"That's smart of you," Jonas half nodded, "given that there's always something crazy happening here. Whether it's the kids stirring up trouble or the politicians thinking they're going to change the world in modernizing our little town…well, there is always something."

"Modernizing?" Logan raised a curious brow, "Since when?"

"Since they are all spouting off about putting in a computer bar down the street," Jonas wrinkled his nose and shuddered, "Like we need more proof that the FBI is keeping tabs on all of us even out here."

"Right," Logan couldn't help, but smirk in thinking about Jonas and his overwhelming distrust for the government. Although he'd spent a great many years as a service man, Logan had realized that Jonas had a great contempt for his former employer. It seemed as though he'd wanted to rid himself of any and all ties to the government once he'd settled into the small Canadian town. Of course that didn't mean that Jonas wasn't eager to share some of his conspiracy theories along the way.

"I mean really it's bad enough that kids today want to get into the flash and thrill of what they see on tv when half the stuff can kill them, but to think of the town installing an establishment full of privacy invading trackers, well, it's a sign that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. Hell, if it wasn't for good drinks and cheap cigars I'd already think we were there."

"Tell me about it," Logan nodded when Jonas poured them both a glass of bourbon. He pushed Logan's glass across the table before speaking to Logan once again.

"So what brings you in here today my friend?" Jonas raised an interested brow, "A round of poker perhaps?"

"Nah," Logan shook his head, "it's too soon for that given that I still don't think you've forgiven me for beating the hell out of you in our last game."

"That's because you cheated," Jonas snarled in mock anger while his fingers curled around his own glass, "I know you did."

"I didn't," Logan paused before rethinking his words, "at least not that much."

"I knew it," Jonas poured his drink down his throat before reaching for the bottle again, "but so did I. You're just getting better at it than I am nowadays."

"Perhaps," Logan set the bag he'd been holding down on the floor before reaching for his drink, "though maybe I'll still let you get the upper hand every now and then when we play next."

"How generous of you," Jonas rolled his eyes before focusing on Logan again, "So what really brings you here other than my charming personality?"

"As I said before I need a favor," Logan paused contemplating his words before he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a wad of cash and set it on the table top before finishing off his drink, "I'm going to need reliable transportation out of town."

"Out of town," Jonas repeated eyeing Logan suspiciously, "You are in trouble, aren't you?"

"No," Logan replied thinking about how much he'd wanted to let Jonas know about his new houseguest, "I just have business out of town that can't wait. It's important and…"

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the military being on their way out here, would it?" Jonas raised a speculative brow.

"Military," Logan repeated with a sudden interest in his voice, "What military?"

"There was a plane that went down a few hundred miles away from here," Jonas chewed on the edge of his cigar once again, "Apparently there weren't any passengers on it."

"No passengers?" Logan repeated thinking about what Scott had told him about his mission.

"None, but where the plane went down the military blocked off the entire area. According to Bill, who was out that way when it happened there were some kids on board," Jonas continued to pass on the tidbit of gossip that he'd been privy to, "Apparently there were four or five of them."

"What happened to them?" Logan questioned thinking about Scott's concerns for his teammates.

"Don't know," Jonas shrugged, "Bill said he'd seen some of them go off into the town. They were there for a couple of days before the government came in asking questions about the plane."

"The government?" Logan repeated thinking about what Scott had told him about the accident.

"Americans," Jonas clarified with a shudder, "and pushy ones at that. Bill told me that he'd been questioned for hours before they let him and the others go. Apparently the kids were part of some terrorist group…"

"Terrorist group," Logan replied with a wrinkled expression on his face.

"Yeah, Bill wasn't buying it either given that they were just kids according to him," Jonas continued reaching for his glass of bourbon, "I'm guessing one of them took a military flight out for a joyride after taking some piloting classes and they got into big trouble."

"I'm sure they did," Logan pondered the details Jonas was providing him with.

"Though Bill did say that they weren't really concerned with the whole lot of kids. He mentioned that they'd asked about all of them, but most of their questioning was about one boy in particular," Jonas eyed Logan's bag suspiciously before reaching out to pour Logan another drink.

"Oh?" Logan pretended to be disinterested.

"Yeah, apparently they felt he was the biggest threat to national security. It's a boy about eighteen or nineteen years old who walks around in sunglasses and a pilot's uniform-although I'm sure he's changed out of it by now," Jonas rehashed the details that had been passed on to him.

"I'm sure he has," Logan nodded reaching for his glass and downing his drink once again, "What do they want him for?"

"Terrorism," Jonas shrugged, "but beyond that, well, they weren't exactly offering up any details to Bill. Then again when do the Americans ever get forthcoming with what their agenda is?"

"Spoken like a true defector," Logan shook his head and forced a smile at his old friend.

"You couldn't pay me to go back to that chaos again because if I've learned on thing through the years, it's that you don't mess with those who can very easily take you off the map," Jonas bit down on his cigar once again, "especially in matters of situations that don't concern you."

"Sure," Logan spotted his friend's eyes on his brown paper bag once again.

"You getting some shopping done in town today Logan?" Jonas raised a curious brow when Logan reached down to push the top of the bag to a close.

"Just picking up odds and ends," Logan replied nudging the bag out of Jonas's point of view when he nodded to the money on the table again, "I know it's kind of last minute, but I really need a reliable means of transportation. There's this thing I need to take care of and…"

"It's going to take a couple of days Logan," Jonas reached out across the table to take Logan's money, "You know as well as I do that in this weather there's no getting in and out of town in a hurry. To get you reliable transportation it will take at least two or three days considering that…"

"I don't know if I have that much time," Logan paused giving weight to his words, "It's kind of important."

"Important or not no one is getting in or out of here for a few days," Jonas sat up straighter in his chair. His brown eyes focused on Logan again when he spoke up with a knowing expression on his face, "Not even Americans set on following an agenda Logan."

"Anyone can find their way in if they are motivated enough," Logan replied with an uneasiness when he shifted in the chair he'd been seated in.

"Even a determined kid who found his way into Moe's bar to encounter someone with a soft spot for lost causes," Jonas raised a curious brow in an attempt to prompt Logan to speak up again.

"I'm not following," Logan lied when he squeezed his glass between his fingers.

"A lot of people are looking for that kid Logan," Jonas replied knowingly, "Bill even said they offered a price on his head if anyone had information on him."

"I don't know anything about any kids Jonas," Logan put on his best poker face when he set his glass down, "Do I look like someone who is interested in running a daycare?"

"Good because if you were taking up with someone like Scott Summers, well, I don't think it would end well for you my friend," Jonas let out a long sigh when he pushed Logan's money into his pocket.

"Scott Summers," Logan repeated realizing that Scott hadn't offered up his last name to him in their time together. Still in knowing that people were after Scott and determined to find him, it was all the motivation Logan needed to get the hell out of town with Scott as soon as possible.

"The kid is in a world of trouble," Jonas broke through Logan's thoughts, "and if he did happen to find his way into Moe's bar and cross paths with a sympathetic stranger, well, I think it would be in the stranger's best interest to ensure that no one else finds Scott should the stranger feel compelled to continue looking after him."

"If he's just a kid, then the government is wasting their time," Logan replied meeting his friend's eyes again, "What harm could a kid cause?"

"You'd be surprised at the things the American government think kids are capable of these days," Jonas reached out for the ashtray on the table. He extinguished his cigar into it before reaching for another one, "The stories I could tell you about what I've seen would make your toes curl Logan."

"I'll bet," Logan paused thinking about his friend's history in the military, "Tell me something. Have you ever heard of a man named William Stryker?"

"No," Jonas shook his head before offering a cigar to Logan, "Should I have?"

"No," Logan replied accepting the cigar, "It's just a name that came up in a conversation."

"I'd be careful who I had conversations with Logan," Jonas lowered his voice when his eyes narrowed over at Logan, "People in this town don't have a lot in terms of resources and if they were offered some kind of compensation for information…"

"I can watch my own back," Logan assured him with a small shrug.

"I'm sure you can, but if you have company," Jonas paused lending weight to the moment between them, "well, it would be in your best interest to forget you crossed paths with him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Logan replied firmly, "I just need a means of getting out of town for a while."

"It should take a couple of days," Jonas finally decided with a nod, "I wish I could make things go faster than that, but…"

"I know you'll do your best," Logan stood up from his chair. He reached for his bag and turned to look at the back door to the pawn shop.

"Be careful Logan," Jonas warned, "I know you've tried very hard to keep a low profile since you've arrived in town. People haven't taken to strangers, so I know they've always been suspicious."

"So let 'em talk," Logan shrugged his shoulders, "You know I don't care about idle gossip."

"Maybe not, but after what took place at the bar the other night just know that they'll sell their soul for a taste of the things they feel they aren't getting around here," Jonas paused in drawing emphasis to his warning.

"What about you?" Logan questioned wearily when he thought to the money he'd offered Jonas.

"I'm too old to want anything other than a good place to rest when I'm dead and gone my friend," Jonas reached for the neck of his bottle, "Their empty promises don't mean shit to me."

"Somehow I knew they wouldn't," Logan reached for the doorknob.

"Just be safe my friend," Jonas replied with a small smile carrying over his lips.

"Get me that transportation and I will," Logan noted watching as Jonas pushed the cigar into his lips again.

"Give me two days. I'll have it for you by then," Jonas promised as Logan gave him one last look in knowing that things had suddenly become more urgent in his quest to keep Scott safe. As he stepped out of the pawn shop into the blizzard that surrounded him, Logan knew full well that time wasn't on his side especially when the government was involved.

Reaching for the hood on his jacket Logan pulled it up over his head and turned towards the direction of the wind bracing himself for the chill and ache that would take him under on his path back to his cabin. Still in realizing he'd maintained a safe distance away from town to keep his privacy he knew he and Scott would be alright for the next two days. At least that was the plan.

xxxxx

Scott looked up from his position on the couch when he heard the sound of the door opening. He set the book down that he'd been reading when he discovered Logan walking inside with two bags in his arms. He was covered in snow and visibly shaken by the weather when the sound of ringing overhead caused Logan to take pause in his entrance. Frowning he looked up and discovered the tiny pair of jingle bells that Scott had placed above the door for security measures once he'd been snooping around and uncovered a few holiday knickknacks in the attic.

"What's this?" Logan pointed to the bells overhead as he reached up for them.

"I thought they might come in handy just in case anyone tried to find us out here," Scott explained placing the book down in his lap when Logan shook his head to discard some of the snow that had pooled on top of his hood.

"Apparently that might be happening sooner than either one of us anticipated," Logan remarked sourly. He moved into the room discarding his jacket near the chair across from Scott before setting the bags he'd carried with him down, "People are looking for you Scott."

"What kind of people?" Scott questioned worriedly. He set the book he'd been reading down on the coffee table before standing up.

"Military people," Logan clarified in thinking about what Jonas had said to him, "They're telling people in town that you're a terrorist."

"What?" Scott's jaw dropped in horror, "but that's impossible. Logan, you know that I'm not a…"

"What I know and what others believe will be two very different things," Logan continued to explain. He discarded his coat completely before grabbing one of the bags again. He carried it into the kitchen and set it down on the counter, "There are people who will be willing to turn on you for a few extra bucks and…"

"How do you know? Are they here?" Scott gulped down worriedly. He rubbed his palms together before moving in closer to where Logan was, "Have you seen them?"

"No, but apparently they were taking their time in the town where your plane touched down," Logan informed him seriously, "They are seeking you out Scott."

"What about the others?" Scott questioned when his nerves got the best of him. He thought back to his team, to the way he'd promised to keep them safe when all hell broke loose, "Did anyone say anything about them?"

"The military isn't interested in them Scott," Logan clarified with a sudden seriousness in his tone, "They want you. Just you."

"So then the others are…" Scott was almost afraid to ask.

"From the sound of it, I'm guessing they were able to lay low or get away, but right now the only one on their radar is you," Logan reached into the bag to pull out the few groceries that he'd picked up on the way back from town, "Just what kind of trouble are you in Scott?"

"I…I don't know," Scott rubbed his palms together, "I told you what happened when the jet went down Logan."

"You said that there were military people there, but that you were able to get away," Logan reminded him simply, "That they blindsided you…"

"They did," Scott raised his voice with worry and agitation, "I told you that man was there-the one who abducted me before…"

"William Stryker," Logan repeated feeling a chill creep in over him at the mention of the man's name. He could see fear building behind Scott's features when Scott slowly nodded.

"He was there with the other men," Scott divulged behind shaky hands, "They were trying to grab me, but I managed to get away."

"How?" Logan questioned giving Scott a long once over. Scott was dressed only in Logan's sweatpants looking every bit as broken down and beaten as he had the night before when the daylight reflected the scars over his body. Although Scott had been self-conscious about it the night before, it seemed that he'd found comfort in his own skin in making himself at home in Logan's cabin.

"I just did," Scott replied with a small scowl when he turned away from Logan, "I fought back to the best of my abilities, then when I realized I'd lost my team I got the hell out of there. I went to search for help and…"

"What about that Stryker guy?" Logan inquired once again, "What happened with him?"

"I didn't know and I certainly didn't stick around to find out," Scott divulged with a small shudder, "I didn't want him to get his hands on me again considering that…"

"Did he do that to you?" Logan questioned nodding to the scars on Scott's chest, "Was he the one that…?"

"No," Scott replied bringing his arms up over his chest in a movement meant to prevent Logan from looking at the wounds that still tore at Scott's body and mind, "these were from different monsters."

"You said it happened when you were abducted," Logan pushed the groceries aside to take a closer look at Scott. He stepped into the living room area and softened his tone, "You said the people who did that…"

"They worked for Stryker," Scott informed him with a solemn expression on his face, "they were trying to have a little fun with me when they thought Stryker wasn't paying attention."

"What kind of fun?" Logan tensed up in thinking about the pain Scott must've endured.

"The kind I'd rather not rehash," Scott shuddered and wrapped his arms around himself tighter than before, "the point is that I tried to put it behind me. I survived and that's something that I plan to keep on doing with or without your help."

"Whoa," Logan placed his hands up in the air, "Scott, I didn't say that I wasn't going to help you. I just wanted to gain an understanding of what we're up against. If there's something that you should think I know about these men that are chasing you."

"I can't tell you anything more than I have," Scott explained bringing one hand up over the side of his face, "As I told you before I've tried to put it behind me. I've taken measures to ensure that the nightmares don't follow me around."

"What kind of measures?" Logan questioned watching as Scott dropped down onto the couch with trembling hands in his lap.

"Remember how I told you Charles was a powerful mutant?" Scott raised his chin up to meet Logan's eyes with a somber expression on his face. Although Logan couldn't see Scott's eyes behind the glasses, he could sense the emotions running through his mind in that moment in time.

"Yes," Logan nodded simply.

"Well, when he found me I was a mess. When I was in that facility being tortured they did things to me-things that went beyond the experiments," Scott's lower lip trembled as he fought with the recall pouring out inside of his subconscious, "I tried to block it out, but I couldn't. I wasn't able to put that part of my past behind me. It got to the point where I couldn't sleep. I couldn't eat or even walk around without thinking about what they'd done. I was terrified of everything and everyone, but more so of myself because of the things I'd experienced. I just wanted to make it disappear, so I asked Charles to help me."

"How?" Logan questioned watching Scott tense up on the couch before him.

"He's a very powerful telepath. He has means of tapping into memories and seeing what's in a person's thoughts," Scott brought one hand up over the back of his neck when tension spiraled out over his body, "He saw what had happened to me. He was able to look inside of me and understand what I was experiencing. He saved me Logan, but beyond that he wanted to free me from the nightmares."

"How?" Logan repeated when Scott focused on the floor before him.

"I asked him to block it from my mind," Scott blurted out as his face grew flushed, "He put a wall up in my mind to prevent me from going back to that facility. He was able to place a mental barrier between me and the memories. He promised it would bring me peace…"

"Yeah, that looks like it worked," Logan mouthed with thick sarcasm in his tone.

"It did for a while, but then the nightmares started coming back to me," Scott raised his chin up to explain himself to Logan, "About a month or so ago it started to filter into my brain again. Whatever had prompted it, well, it started coming back stronger than before. In my dreams I could see their faces. I could remember some of the things, but when I'm awake I try not to let it consume me. I want to forget so that…"

"That what?" Logan stepped in closer to Scott.

"That it won't consume me again," Scott explained. His voice cracked with emotion when Logan realized Scott was trembling on the couch before him, "I don't want to go back to that place where I'm afraid of everything Logan. When I was first brought to the school I was terrified. I was lost inside of myself and my whole world was crashing down around me. To think that I could be surrounded by that kind of fear again…"

"Hey," Logan reached out to touch Scott's shoulder. He felt Scott shiver and shake clearly caught up in a moment of recall that had pushed its way into his thoughts. Sliding down onto the couch beside Scott, Logan wrapped him up in his arms, "it's okay. Scott, everything is going to be alright."

"I can't let them find me again Logan," Scott sobbed burying his face in Logan's chest, "They can't take me back there again. If they do what they did before…"

"They won't," Logan promised squeezing Scott in closer to him, "I promise you that I won't let them hurt you ever again."

"If they are coming for me…" Scott shivered as Logan's arms squeezed around his slender frame.

"They won't have the opportunity Scott," Logan whispered soothingly over the top of Scott's head, "because by the time they make their way out here you and I will be gone."

"But you said that they…" Scott raised his head up to watch Logan's expressions again.

"They are a few towns away," Logan assured him with a brush of his hand against Scott's face, "With the storm we've got a few days before any of them can make their way out here. Even if they do my place is on the outskirts of everything. No one is going to think to come out here to see us considering that…"

"We aren't safe here, are we?" Scott questioned worriedly, "Even after it ended, it's still not over, is it?"

"Whatever happened to you Scott I swear that I won't allow it to happen again," Logan wiped at the tears on Scott's cheek, "You trust me, don't you?"

Scott nodded, "It's crazy, but I do. I have since the first moment I met you."

"Then know that I would lay my life on the line to make sure that nothing bad ever happens to you again," Logan promised sliding his fingers into Scott's thick, dark hair, "You're my responsibility now."

"Logan, I don't want to inconvenience you with my problems. I know that you have a life of your own that…" Scott began when Logan pushed the pad of his thumb across Scott's bottom lip.

"…was empty until you walked into that bar," Logan admitted tracing the lines of Scott's mouth when an air of sentimentality carried over him, "It's not like me to become so attached to someone this fast, but there's something about you Scott. I felt it from the first moment I saw you. There's something that…"

"…that you can't escape?" Scott questioned leaning into Logan's touch, "It's like there's this force driving us to one another."

"It sounds crazy," Logan agreed when he wrapped his arm around Scott's bottom to pull Scott into his lap, "I thought it was the cold of winter getting to me, but the more time I spend with you, the more I realize that…"

"…there's something too powerful happening here to ignore," Scott finished shifting on Logan's lap to wrap his arms around Logan's thick, broad shoulders. His fingers squeezed at the back of Logan's neck holding him tighter than before when Scott pushed his legs out around Logan's thighs to settle in more completely over Logan's hardened form.

"I'm the wrong kind of guy for you Scott," Logan sighed feeling Scott dip in closer to him, "I'm nothing, but trouble and…"

"You're not the one who has a military chasing you," Scott reminded him with a careless breath of a whisper.

"Maybe not, but I know what I am. I've seen the things I'm capable of when prompted," Logan's arms surrounded Scott in holding him closer than before, "You're too good for someone like me Scott. I'm far too old and…"

"You don't look too old," Scott reached out to cup Logan's face in his hands brazenly, "You look absolutely perfect to me Logan."

"That's because you're too young to realize when a bad decision is staring you in the face," Logan pushed at Scott's cheek to wipe at the traces of dampness that still lingered upon his soft, smooth skin, "this isn't going to end well for us. Deep down you know that."

"I don't care Logan," Scott blurted out in a defiance that resonated through his words, "even if the whole world ends up going to hell tomorrow, tonight we're here together away from it all. That's all that matters to me."

"That's because you're scared," Logan sighed as he fought to contain the groan that carried over his lips at the nearness of Scott, "You aren't thinking clearly and…"

"Tell me that you don't feel it too," Scott half pleaded when he dropped down to kiss Logan's cheek. When Logan sat still beneath him Scott's lips traced over the side of Logan's neck, sliding over the roughness of his skin until finally their lips met in another hungry union.

"This is crazy," Logan murmured in between kisses. His hands cupped and held Scott closer to him, pushing Scott down into his lap. Wanting to feel the connection between them Scott began to move, to slide his body over Logan's in an instinctual grind. His fingers returned to Logan's shoulders, massaging and kneading into his flesh when Logan's fingers teased over the back of the sweatpants Scott was wearing.

"You have no idea what you're getting yourself into Scott," Logan pulled back from the kiss.

"Maybe not," Scott spoke up in a thick, heady voice. His fingers teased over Logan's shoulders creating a warm contrast to the cold that Logan had been surrounded by on the walk back up to his cabin from town, "but I'd like to."

"Scott," Logan expelled a harsh breath when Scott wiggled in his lap again in a teasing brush of temptation and desire, "you don't really want me to…"

"Stop making excuses Logan," Scott half pleaded when he arched in closer to Logan. He twisted Logan's hair between his fingers in an attempt to wrench Logan's mouth up towards his in a kiss, "Just be with me."

"Scott," Logan pulled back from the kiss. He could see the lust and temptation brewing behind Scott's eyes. There was so much he'd wanted to explore with the man in his arms, so many things he'd wanted to do with him, yet in thinking about all the things that he'd promised in keeping Scott safe Logan held back, "I can't."

"Why?" Scott questioned with a wounded expression on his face.

"Because I'm too old and you're too young and…" Logan felt Scott tense up over him.

"Those are just excuses," Scott frowned feeling the first sting of rejection carrying over him. Feeling suddenly foolish for his blatant come on, Scott pulled himself off of Logan's lap and frowned, "If you aren't interested just say it and get it over with. Don't dance around the issue."

"It's not that I'm not interested, but Scott, we hardly know one another. You're lost and confused and I'm…" Logan attempted to reason with Scott.

"Too stubborn to just go for what he wants, but don't worry Logan. I won't be your problem much longer," Scott huffed spinning on his heel and stomping back to the bedroom. Before Logan could respond he heard the sound of the door slamming indicating that things had gone from bad to worse in his exchange with Scott. With a frown Logan stood up and resumed in putting the groceries away in knowing that the next couple of days weren't going to at all like he'd hoped when he'd imagined being alone with Scott.

xxxxx

Scott shifted on the bed stubbornly thinking about the way Logan had refused his advances. Although he'd been coming on strong he'd thought that Logan was more than willing to reciprocate. Yes, it wasn't at all like Scott to behave so impulsively, but with his future on the line Scott was hoping that Logan would simply give in to instinct and allow temptation to take them to places where Scott hadn't ever been before. However Logan had been stronger than Scott in denying Scott the very thing that he had been obsessing over since he'd first kissed Logan.

"…we hardly know one another," Logan's words taunted at the back of Scott's mind. The longer Scott sat on the bed, the more he thought about the way in which Logan had yet again put him off. It was grueling and frustrating as Scott realized that in spite of Logan's words there was an interest there between them. It lingered in their kisses, in the way that they'd touched one another, yet Logan was too impossible to simply give in to temptation.

"And what if he had?" Scott heard a voice question in the back of his mind, "What then?"

Granted the thought in itself was something Scott hadn't really given much consideration. He hadn't known much of anything about making love, let alone in giving himself to another man. Yes, he'd fantasized about Jean in the past. He'd even stolen moments to touch himself in ways he'd regretted when others weren't around, yet in thinking about Logan it had brought about new feelings in Scott that he was convinced he couldn't ignore.

Closing his eyes Scott shifted on the bed imagining what he wanted to do with Logan in those forbidden moments between them. Licking his lips Scott realized that he'd been turned on by the idea of having Logan over him, touching him in ways he hadn't dared shared with anyone before now. He could almost feel Logan's hands upon him, could taste the power of Logan's kiss all around him driving him to temptation in ways he'd never admit to in his life back at school. With each thought of Logan carrying over his mind, Scott found himself increasingly on edge. His body was overtaken with lust, thoughts consumed by desire and temptation in remembering the brief touch he'd taken in reaching for Logan the other night. Even though it had been fleeting Scott had realized that Logan was overwhelmingly blessed in his anatomy so much so that Scott was almost afraid to take a further feel, yet when Logan had pushed Scott away Scott realized he'd only wanted it more.

Now overtaken with want and desire Scott twisted on the blankets when his fantasy played out in his mind. He could almost feel Logan over him, pushing him down onto the blankets over the mattress when Scott parted his thighs. He reached up to pull his glasses off of his face. Sliding his arm out across the bed he placed them on Logan's pillow before his hand pressed in over his abdomen, sliding down further to the top of his sweatpants when his body tensed up. Biting down on his lower lip, he took in an uneasy breath before pushing his hand into his pants to touch himself. At first contact he whimpered imagining it was Logan's hand upon him touching and teasing him in ways that Scott had been too afraid to ask for before now. With each movement of his fist over his body, Scott shifted on the sheets growing impossibly harder when thoughts of Logan's face carried over in his mind drawing him to temptation over and over again.

"God," Scott hissed arching his head back when his hips bounced up off of the blankets to find the rhythm of his fist. He bit into his lip harder than before when a whimper carried over him, guiding him closer to the edge with each thought of Logan. He twisted and shifted wishing like hell Logan hadn't denied him when lust consumed him. His skin grew flushed, mind consumed by desire and want when another moan escaped from his now parted lips. He arched his back giving in to the want, to the forbidden touch he'd been so ashamed of needing in the past when there was a sound that carried over his lips. Unable to hold back Scott started to pick up the pace in touching himself, wanting to provide another means of stimulating himself with the fantasy that played in his mind again and again. His pulse quickened, legs sliding further apart when his head fell back into the pillow. His grip on his body intensified, his heart racing when the sound of the door opening pulled him from the moment of self-indulgence.

"Scott, we really need to talk," Logan's voice poured out over the fantasy in causing Scott's movements to cease. He scrambled to pull his hand out of his pants suddenly aware of the fact that he was no longer alone when he felt the weight of Logan's eyes upon him.

With a gasp Scott reached out to Logan's pillow struggling to find his glasses and bring himself down from the fantasy that had consumed him seconds earlier. Embarrassment carried over his features causing him to blush when his fingers stretched across the pillow desperate to seek out his glasses. He could feel the edge of them within his reach when the pillow fell over the side of the bed in taking them down onto the floor.

"Shit!" Scott cursed attempting to shuffle over the bed and seek out his glasses through the darkness that surrounded him when he heard another sound of movement in the room. Before he could question it he felt a harsh pull over his stomach when Logan's arm surrounded him. He opened his mouth to say something, to explain himself when Logan's mouth came crashing down over his kissing him with the same intensity and promise that Scott had imagined in his fantasy. Only unlike the cold, empty bed that had surrounded Scott seconds earlier, Logan was all around him, touching and holding him in ways that Scott had anticipated and longed for.

"Fuck," Logan had cursed in between kisses when he squeezed his bicep around Scott's waist to draw him nearer. His teeth sank into Scott's lower lip, tasting the sweet desire that Scott had provided when Scott fell back onto the mattress again. In an instant he felt Logan over him, crushing down upon him until their hips met in a slow, painful grind. He could feel Logan's body hard and eager over him as Logan's tongue teased into Scott's mouth with a newfound hunger. His hands pushed at Scott's hips guiding the sweatpants down over Scott's thighs before Logan's kisses traced over Scott's skin.

"Logan," Scott arched his head back into the pillow when he felt Logan's mouth moving over him, teasing in a sensual sweep over his chest and abdomen, "my glasses."

"You don't need them Scott," Logan whispered, his words buzzing over Scott's body when Scott felt Logan take his arousal into his mouth as he had the night before. The warm contact caused Scott to whimper and twist over the sheets. He stretched his fingers out gripping into the pillow when Logan reached for Scott's thigh. He coaxed it up further to accommodate his broad shoulders in his positioning between Scott's thighs. With a heated breath his tongue carried over the underside of Scott's length causing Scott to tremble with want and desire when Logan tasted him again and again.

"Logan please," Scott whimpered when Logan pushed at Scott's pants. They were twisted at his knee bringing Scott to an uncomfortable positioning when Scott heard the sound of Logan's grunt over him. He felt Logan pull back causing him to fear that Logan would leave, but instead he felt a sudden warmth carry over the material of his sweatpants.

"Don't move," Logan warned in a sharp hiss when Scott felt his heart skip a beat. There was something about the raw need in his tone that caused Scott to remain motionless waiting for further instruction. When he felt Logan's thumb carry over him he almost questioned what he should do until the distinct sound of material ripping filled his ears, "I don't want to cut you."

"Cut me?" Scott replied thinking about what he'd learned of Logan the night before. Suddenly in thinking about Logan's claws he wondered if Logan had used them to help shed Scott of his clothing. Instantly Scott's thoughts were drawn to Logan's claws when he thought back to the magnificent way they'd revealed themselves in the moonlight presenting Scott with a glimpse of the man Logan truly was. In remembering their power Scott felt a shiver overtake him. He knew that he should be afraid, that he should somehow fear what could happen should the razor sharp claws tear into his flesh, yet he was unmoved by the thought and suddenly turned on by the idea of Logan tearing his clothing to pieces.

"Stay still," Logan warned again when Scott expelled another harsh breath.

"That's asking a lot Logan," Scott felt Logan slide over him taking the remains of Scott's clothing away from his body.

"It'll be worth the wait," Logan promised climbing up over Scott to kiss him again. He braced himself up on his hands to keep a safe distance between him and Scott when Scott reached out through the darkness desperate to grip onto Logan's shoulders.

"I need my glasses. I want to look at you Logan," Scott curled his lip in protest when he felt Logan's body over his, "I want to see your face when…"

"I want to see yours Scott. I don't want you to feel like you have to hide behind them when we're together. I'm not afraid of your powers," Logan shifted over him.

"I am," Scott divulged in a quiet whisper.

"You don't need to be afraid with me. You can't hurt me," Logan promised positioning his weight to the side so that he could touch Scott's cheek, "I know that's asking a lot given that you've never done this before, but…"

"As long as you're with me," Scott bit down on his lower lip in thinking about the way it felt to have Logan over him, "then I'm willing to trust you."

"I won't let anything bad happen to you Scott," Logan promised bending down to kiss Scott with a tenderness that hadn't been present before in their earlier exchanges. His lips skimmed over Scott's forehead, gently over his cheeks, over the tip of his nose until they skimmed over his eyelids. The movement caused Scott to gasp, to think about the dangers Logan was opening himself up to when his lips traveled from one eyelid to the other. Squeezing down on Logan's shoulder Scott let out a small sigh knowing that he'd never allowed anyone to be that close to him before. Others had been afraid, but with Logan he'd felt safe and protected. He trusted Logan.

"I know," Scott's words vibrated against Logan's lips as he felt Logan reach down to bring Scott's thigh up over Logan's hip. Without any further need for encouragement Scott wrapped his muscular thigh tighter around Logan's body wanting and needing to know more of the man over him.

"You're so beautiful," Logan's words buzzed over Scott's lips when Logan kissed him again. Scott arched up into the kiss, finding himself lost in the overwhelming taste of Logan, alcohol and cigars on his breath. It was enough to cause Scott to squeeze at Logan's shoulders again wanting him nearer when Logan reached down between them to bring his fingers over Scott's arousal. He teased it, taking his time to draw out the sensations of desire and longing before Scott felt Logan stretch out beyond them to pull something from the nightstand beside them.

"Logan," Scott whispered feeling passion overtake his senses when Logan's hand dropped down over his bottom to pull Scott in closer to him.

"If you change your mind or you want me to stop," Logan whispered against the side of his neck, "just let me know."

"I won't," Scott whimpered when Logan's touch grew far more erotic, sliding in over Scott's bottom in an intimate press. He felt a new awareness carry over him followed by a slick sensation when Logan's touch teased over his body, sliding over his entrance in a surprising sweep. The movement caused Scott to twist up off of the mattress overtaken by thoughts and feelings that he hadn't experienced before that moment in time. His breath grew more labored, his thoughts turning to the weight of Logan over him when Logan's touch teased over his sensitive flesh, drawing out sensation after overwhelming sensation until finally he felt Logan press his finger inside of him. The movement caused Scott to squeeze Logan's shoulders and arch back further into the pillow caught up in the feel of Logan's touch, panting and waiting for what was to follow.

"You okay?" Logan questioned kissing Scott's earlobe in a tender display before Scott nodded.

"Yeah," Scott breathed feeling as if time stood still when Logan was inside of him preparing him for passion to follow. His mind was caught up in sensation, thoughts turning increasingly desperate when Logan teased him in ways he hadn't thought possible. He groaned and gasped caught up in the feel of coming undone from within, lost in erotic sensation when Logan's kisses continued. Squeezing his arms around Logan's shoulders Scott arched up into him wanting and needing Logan more with each passing second. After what felt like an eternity Scott felt Logan's lips carry over his kissing him with a tenderness Scott hadn't thought possible. He felt Logan reach for his other leg guiding it up over Logan's back until Logan's hips settled in over Scott.

"You're beautiful Scott," Logan whispered dipping down to kiss Scott again when Scott felt the first hints of Logan pressing inside of him. The movement caused him to cry out, to become immersed in sensation when Logan's teeth sank into his bottom lip. The movement was enough distraction for Scott to return to the kiss, to squeeze at Logan's shoulder and pull him tighter when Logan pressed further into Scott in joining them as one. Listening Scott could hear the sounds of Logan's labored breath, could feel the weight of Logan carrying over him as their lips parted.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you," Logan promised touching the side of Scott's face. Scott turned into Logan's palm, pressing a kiss over the center of it when Logan pushed into Scott further. The movement caused Scott to whimper and groan caught up in a moment of erotic torment when the reality of Logan inside of him sent warmth and sensation over every synapse in Scott's body.

They remained that way for a while lost in the moment of simply being with one another until finally Logan made the first movements inside of Scott, moving with caution and ease as Scott felt another sound erupt from his lips. This time pleasure followed as Scott squeezed his fingers into Logan's shoulders gripping and holding his body over him. With each movement their bodies found a rhythm taking them from two lost souls set on a collision course with disaster to one breath, one moment of completion in being wrapped up in one another. Their lips collided, tongues teasing as things picked up between them transforming from slow and tentative to wild and unrelenting with each pounding thrust Logan made inside of Scott. Arching up on the bed Scott squeezed his arms around Logan's shoulders gripping and holding him desperately when things started to spiral out of control between them. He felt Logan's hand over him, his palm sheathing his arousal when Scott fell back onto the mattress overtaken with overwhelming awareness and desire. His body shuddered, pulse throbbing as Logan made a few movements followed by his own erotic release. He felt Logan's hands extend beyond Scott, stretching out across the mattress when Logan's teeth sank into Scott's shoulder biting down in a primitive, possessive form of ownership when their passion took them both from the pain of isolation to a sense of completion and belonging lost in one another's arms.

xxxxx

"Are you awake?" Scott questioned as his sweat soaked body lay over Logan's chest. He kept his eyes closed thinking about the considerable amount of control it had taken not to look at Logan when they were together lost in the heat of passion between them.

"Yeah," Logan's fingers teased leisurely over Scott's spine to hold him closer to him, "you?"

"No, I'm asleep," Scott couldn't help, but tease with a hint of tired laughter when soreness carried over his limbs. Although he was certain he'd be feeling the aftermaths of passion for a while after his night with Logan, he found himself not minding the outcome of the experience between them. Instead he snuggled in over Logan more completely as a smile teased over the corners of his lips, "I'm just speaking to you from within a dream."

"In that case, let me tell you just how incredible you are," Logan practically purred as his arm squeezed around Scott tighter than before.

"I am?" Scott raised his head up in a movement that took all of his energy. Although he still couldn't see Logan without his glasses he followed the sound of Logan's voice reaching out to touch his face. With a smile he traced the lines in wanting to imprint every sharp curve, to remember every bristling hair that carried over his jaw line when Scott attempted to seek out Logan's lips in a kiss.

"You're by far the most perfect thing I've encountered Scott," Logan's voice was overtaken with an air of sentimentality when he guided Scott's lips to his own again.

"That you can remember," Scott attempted to infuse humor into the situation.

"No," Logan replied with a sudden seriousness in his tone, "ever. I've never met anyone like you Scott."

"You mean a stubborn impossible kid who won't take no for an answer?" Scott asked with a nervousness building up in the pit of his stomach at the thought of all he'd shared with Logan.

"On the contrary," Logan pushed his fingers into Scott's hair, "Someone who was so young, yet held so much insight on the world around him. You're special Scott."

"So are you Logan," Scott whispered brushing his lips over Logan's in a kiss, "and the more time I spend with you, the less inclined I am to go back home again."

"Scott," Logan's voice shifted when he touched the side of Scott's face, "I know you feel that way now, but…"

"I've never felt this at ease with anyone," Scott whispered bringing his head over Logan's chest again, "I've never been unafraid to be myself like I am with you."

"There's a lot you don't know about me Scott. There's a lot that I don't know about myself," Logan sighed keeping Scott close to him, "The more I start to see what I once was…"

"It doesn't matter who you were before Logan," Scott argued with a pout carrying over his lips, "It's who you are now that counts. It's what I know you can be."

"You have a lot of faith in me after only a couple of days," Logan noted shifting Scott in his arms so that Scott's upper half was nestled in over Logan's chest and abdomen.

"It's because I feel safe with you Logan," Scott traced lazy circles over Logan's chest, "I'll always feel safe with you."

"I feel safe with you too," Logan confessed pressing a kiss over the top of Scott's head as he found himself wondering if he'd finally found a reason to keep on living. With Scott in his arms the loneliness had vanished, giving way to the thought of companionship and happily ever afters that men like Logan knew better than to allow into their mind. However, with Scott in his arms cuddled up beside him still glowing from the aftermath of their lovemaking Logan found himself wondering if this time things would be different. Perhaps maybe just maybe things would turn around for him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Text

"You're early Logan," Jonas scowled from behind the countertop of his pawn shop, "I told you it was going to take a few days before I could get you a ride out of here. You know that…"

"I figured it wouldn't hurt to check on the progress," Logan replied carefully closing the door behind him when he looked to the snow outside of the shop.

"Yeah, well you're in luck that I happen to know people who know people," Jonas mouthed sourly when he reached down behind the counter to open up one of the cabinets, "You're going to owe me big time Logan."

"Why is that?" Logan questioned watching as Jonas rose to his feet with a cigar in his pinched between his lips. Logan looked down to see a faded blue folder in front of him on the glass countertop, "What's that?"

"A little bit of information about William Stryker," Jonas pushed the folder in closer to Logan, "and Scott Summers I might add."

"Why would you…?" Logan couldn't help, but frown when his eyes focused on the folder in front of him.

"Just so you know what you're getting yourself into," Jonas remarked reaching to the top of the folder. He pulled it open to reveal the copies of newspaper clippings he'd put together, "We might not have a lot of modern technology here, but you'd be amazed at what you can dig up in the old library. Granted I thought it was going to be condemned, but they had these on file."

"What are they?" Logan asked suspiciously.

"They aren't new by any means, but they give you a general idea about the things William Stryker is capable of," Jonas pointed to a few of the clippings scattered across the glass before him, "He's bad news Logan. These articles might not say that, but when you start to read between the lines, it's best you steer clear of the situation if you catch my drift."

"I can hold my own Jonas," Logan watched the concern build behind his friends eyes when Logan scanned the articles on the glass before him. In one of them there was a picture of Stryker being honored. He was standing at a podium with a smug expression on his face. There was something about his smile, something behind his eyes that caused Logan to take pause. He reached for the article pulling it in closer to him when he felt himself overtaken with a moment of anxiety.

"Erase his memory," a voice taunted as Logan felt a gasp carry over his lips. Closing his eyes he could feel himself surrounded by pain.

In a flash Logan was taken from Jonas's shop to somewhere much darker, more dangerous when he found himself immersed in agony. His pulse was racing, people all around him when he opened his eyes to discover others all around them. Some were in lab coats, others in military uniforms staring down at him as they talked about erasing his existence. For an instant fury pumped through his blood, pounding life into his heart beyond the pain when one face stood out from the crowd.

"Stryker," Logan gasped snapping back to the present when he looked down to the clippings before him once again.

"You know him, don't you Logan?" Jonas questioned worriedly. His voice reminded Logan of where he was as Logan fought to contain his natural response to the face on the page before him.

"I don't know," Logan replied taking in a labored breath, "I'm not sure if…"

"Son he's one nightmare away from destroying your life," Jonas placed his hand down on top of the clipping, "If you think this man is coming for you, then you need to make sure he never finds you."

"He won't get the chance as long as you can get me that car," Logan attempted to focus on what he'd initially arrived to speak with Jonas about, "I'm going to need a means of transportation."

"I've got one coming in tomorrow," Jonas bit down on his cigar again, "It's clean and you should be able to put a good distance between you and this Stryker guy before he hits town."

"Jonas," Logan opened his mouth to say something, to find a way to convince his friend that he wasn't running from Stryker and his men.

"You don't have to say it," Jonas waved his hand dismissively, "I always knew it was a matter of time before you got the hell out of this place. Anyone in their right mind wouldn't stick around longer than they have to."

"I'm going to miss you my friend," Logan offered his hand to the man behind the counter.

"Just make sure the risk is worth what you're getting yourself into," Jonas clasped Logan's arm before nodding to the lone clipping at the bottom of the stack, "Scott Summers is in a world of trouble and anyone who crossed paths with him is on their way down."

"I already told you that I have no idea who Scott Summers is," Logan tensed up at lying to his friend. He bit back on his words knowing that it wasn't at all what he'd come to expect of his friendship with Jonas, yet in thinking about the man he had waiting at home for him, he knew that he couldn't afford to bring Jonas any further into the situation.

"The kid looks terrified," Jonas pointed to a photo on the article he'd printed out, "He was no more than fifteen when he damn near destroyed his school and everyone in it. They say he bombed the school after being a victim of bullying."

"Bombed it," Logan repeated glancing down at the image of a younger Scott in black and white before him. There on the page Logan could see it was taken from a yearbook where Scott was in the background looking aloof and miserable. Logan doubted Scott was even of relevance in the photographer's eyes as the photo in itself looked blown up to cut out the other two teens that were in the edge to reveal a blurry focus on Scott. The image in itself did nothing to show Scott's true beauty. It was indistinct and unclear as Logan skimmed the article that was complete with classmate testimonials about how Scott had been the weird kid and the freak. Each one of them more disparaging than the next, yet all indicated that Scott had been a loner through it all. It painted a less than savory picture of Scott's history complete with the reveal that Scott had been an orphan after his parents had been killed in a plane crash in his youth. The details were sketchy, but given the tone of the article Logan realized Scott had been blown off as yet another troubled youth whose existence was a drain on society around him.

"You wouldn't believe the things that kids would do these days when pushed too far," Jonas noted puffing out smoke when Logan pushed the articles into the folder once again.

"Thanks for the information Jonas. It'll give me some interesting reading I suppose when I leave town," Logan met Jonas's eyes again with a moment of hesitation in his voice, "For what it's worth, you're one of the best damn poker players I've been up against."

"Liar," Jonas laughed, "even with my poker face you know damn well how to read me every time. You always called my bluff in ways no one else was able to through the years. Come to think of it, you never shared your trick with me on how you did it?"

"Pure animal instinct," Logan shrugged simply. He reached for the folder placing it into the bag he'd brought with him into town, "Thanks again Jonas."

"The car will be ready at six tomorrow evening," Jonas informed him with a sudden seriousness in his voice, "I'll leave you the keys in the shop in the back room here."

"Aren't you going to be here?" Logan questioned with a worried expression on his face.

"I plan on it, but just in case anything goes awry," Jonas pointed to a cabinet at the back of the room, "They'll be on the top shelf in that mug I drink from when we play poker. You know the one with the woman on the front of it."

"I remember," Logan nodded drawing in a breath when he gave his friend one, last look, "but don't worry. Things will go just fine."

"Let's hope so Logan," Jonas gave him a long, worried glance, "Be careful my friend."

"You too," Logan replied picking his bag up in his arms before turning to face the storm in knowing that things were about to change in his life all over again. Now armed with information on Stryker and Scott, Logan couldn't help, but wonder just why William Stryker was suddenly in his thoughts. Was it possible that he and Scott were both running from the same monster in order to escape a past that had tormented them? Thinking about the face he'd seen on the page Logan shuddered again and vowed to find out more about the man who had terrified Scott one way or the other.

Xxxxx

Logan pushed open the front door to his cabin preparing to talk with Scott about what he'd learned on his trip to the city, but instead he'd found himself met by the smell of something he hadn't anticipated in his return. Food. It surrounded his senses in drawing out a grumble in his stomach at the smell of oregano and spice, all culminating together in a mixture of tomato and olive oil when Logan looked over to the stove to discover Scott standing beside it. He was stirring a pot with one of the discolored spoons Logan had tucked away in a drawer while another pot bubbled over with water and what Logan suspected was pasta within.

Closing the door behind him Logan couldn't help, but smile in seeing how at ease Scott appeared to be in his home. It was a sight for sore eyes when Scott's presence brought a warmth to the cabin. He was standing at the stove dressed in a more properly fitting pair of jeans and a red and blue plaid shirt that Logan had picked up from the thrift store the day before when he'd first gone to see Jonas. Although he hadn't really taken the time to select anything fancy, he was grateful to see that Scott had been interested enough to take a look at the clothes.

"I was starting to wonder when you'd return," Scott's bright, cheerful voice greeted him even with his focus still on the sauce in the pot before him, "When I woke up this morning I thought I'd surprise you with breakfast in bed, but then you were gone, so I realized I missed my window of opportunity."

"I'm sorry," Logan apologized setting the bag down he'd brought back with him. He pushed it on the end table before he pulled off his black jacket and dark colored scarf, "I had a few things I needed to take care of before we could get ready to leave."

"I figured as much," Scott nodded before tipping his head to the side to look at Logan from behind the glasses he was wearing, "although it would've been nice to have you here with me when I woke up."

"I wanted to be here," Logan tossed his coat over the back of the couch before moving in closer to Scott, "but this really couldn't wait."

"Clearly," Scott sighed when Logan stepped in behind him, "but there would've been something nice about a warm bed in being wrapped up in your arms."

"I'll make up for it tonight," Logan promised leaning in to place a kiss over the back of Scott's neck. His thick, powerful arms squeezed around Scott's waist when he held Scott in against his chest, "I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Scott paused to pull the spoon out of the pot before him. His fingers reached down to tease over the top of Logan's hands before he let out a long sigh, "but I'm guessing that given we'll have tonight together here it means we won't be leaving."

"Not yet," Logan whispered over the back of his ear, "I spoke with my friend and we'll be able to get a ride out of town tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night," Scott repeated turning around to face Logan fully.

"That's right," Logan nodded reaching up to touch the side of Scott's face, "given that the weather permits our escape."

"I'm not so sure that's what I want anymore," Scott replied guiltily. His face grew a deep crimson shade when Logan watched him involuntarily lick his lips, "I know I have a responsibility to the others, but…"

"You also have a responsibility to yourself Scott," Logan reminded him with a poignant smile. He reached out to trace his fingers over the hollow of Scott's cheekbone before letting out a small sigh, "Your safety is important to me."

"If they are in trouble I owe them the opportunity to have help," Scott replied somberly. His head dropped down when Logan realized his thoughts were taken back to the others he'd lost along the way.

"You'll help them," Logan reached down to curl his finger underneath Scott's chin. He pushed his face upward so that they could look at one another once again, "but right now maybe you should just enjoy what we've got going on between us. There's no changing the fact that we've got a day to stay here. The weather hasn't really changed and…"

"I have Logan," Scott admitted when his face grew a deeper shade of crimson, "I know it's probably too soon to say that, but…"

"But what?" Logan questioned pushing his fingers into Scott's neatly combed hair.

"I'm falling for you Logan," Scott blurted out with a hint of embarrassment in his tone, "I know that's probably not what you want to hear considering that I was the last thing you wanted or undoubtedly needed in your life, but…"

Scott's words were brought to an abrupt ending when Logan leaned forward to silence Scott with a kiss. The shock and bewilderment of the moment carried over Scott's lips, buzzing in a warmth when Logan's arms surrounded Scott more completely. Effortlessly he picked Scott up off of the ground and carried him away from the stove. With two large steps Logan had taken Scott back into the living room taking him down on the couch with him as their kisses continued. He could taste the desire and emotion on Scott's lips followed by the hunger and need that bounced between them. When they parted Logan pressed his forehead to Scott's and let out a long, slow breath.

"I've fallen for you too kid," Logan revealed arching up to press another kiss over Scott's lips, "I didn't plan on it, but now that I've been with you…"

"…the idea of being without you terrifies me," Scott divulged pulling back to search Logan's features, "I realize we hardly know one another, but…"

"I don't want to be without you either Scott," Logan admitted surprised at how readily he found himself meaning the words that fell from his lips. Wrapping his arm around the back of Scott's neck, he pulled him in closer, taking him in for another all-consuming kiss when he lay back on the couch pulling Scott over him.

"Logan," Scott's hands roamed over Logan's chest touching and teasing over the buttons on his shirt until finally Scott's palm settled in over Logan's hip, "what about dinner?"

"We can always warm it up," Logan decided diving in for another kiss as he found himself wanting to imprint every memory of his beautiful Scott into his mind in ways that he would never forget.

Xxxxx

"Try this," Scott suggested pushing a forkful of pasta into Logan's mouth as they sat together on the middle of Logan's sofa wrapped up in each other's arms and a blanket, "What do you think?"

"It's good," Logan replied in between bites when he felt Scott reach out to wipe the sauce from his chin.

"It was probably better before we…" Scott paused looking around the living room to see it in a state of disarray after they'd made love. This time their passion had been more untamed, wild and primitive as Scott had been open up to new experiences beyond their first night together. Closing his eyes Logan thought to the way he had Scott pinned against the back of the couch bent over and aching for more when they were together touching and teasing one another in ways that neither had imagined possible a few days earlier. Now both covered in a thin layer of sweat and surrounded by the lukewarm remains of the meal Scott had prepared for him, Logan couldn't help but smile.

"That was better than dinner," Logan arched up to steal a kiss from Scott's swelled lips.

"It was," Scott pushed his fork down into his bowl to extract another sauce covered piece of pasta. He pushed it past his lips and took a bite before smiling over at Logan, "What?"

"Nothing," Logan waved his hand around in the air dismissively when a grin carried over his lips.

"Don't tell me nothing," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan, "You're thinking something. What is it?"

"Truthfully?" Logan smirked back at him.

"Always," Scott nodded with a solemn expression.

"I was just thinking about how perfect you are," Logan divulged reaching out to touch the side of Scott's face, "Here you are making me dinner and spoiling me rotten when…"

"It's the least I could do after all you've given me," Scott pushed his fork into the bowl again to pull another few pieces of pasta out. He stretched his hand towards Logan watching as Logan's lips parted to accept the token of his appreciation, "I cleaned up a bit as well while you were gone too, but I'm guessing you didn't notice that, huh?"

"I noticed," Logan's smile faded briefly, "but I figured I wouldn't say anything about it when things were going so well between us."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Scott curled his lip in a pout.

"It means I don't readily welcome people going through my stuff," Logan explained placing his hand over Scott's bare thigh, "I have an order that I work with and…"

"Yeah it's called chaos," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan's words, "and you'll drown in it if you don't find some kind of rhythm to work with."

"You really are a pain in the ass, aren't you?" Logan teased reaching out to tickle at Scott's side. The movement caused him to twist over Logan's lap with a pinched hiss.

"Logan stop," Scott wiggled out of his grasp over to the other side of the couch.

"Maybe I don't want to," Logan growled before wiggling a suggestive brow, "Maybe I like pushing your buttons."

"You do it quite well," Scott mouthed reaching out to pull Logan in closer to him.

"I'm glad you think so," Logan pounced down upon him in a lightening quick movement that brought the bowl in Scott's lap down onto the floor with a loud, resonating boom.

"Shit!" Scott cursed tensing up beneath Logan. He turned to his side on the sofa, preparing to find a way to salvage the remains of dinner when Logan reached for his hand.

"Leave it," Logan collected Scott's wrist. He brought it up to his lips and placed a tender kiss upon it when Scott shook his head in refusal.

"No, I can't. It's a mess and look," Scott nodded to the spill across the floor, "It's all over the stuff you brought back with you."

"Scott, it's okay. We can just…" Logan paused when he realized the bag he'd brought home with him was spread out across the wooden floor. At the top of the pile were the clippings that Jonas had put together about Stryker. At first Logan had hoped Scott wouldn't notice it, but after a few seconds Logan realized that wasn't the case.

"What is this?" Scott questioned reaching out to extract one of the articles from the pile.

"My friend was putting together information for me. When you mentioned Stryker, well, I just wanted to see what we were up against," Logan attempted to explain to him, "I didn't ask him to do it, but he's inquisitive by nature and…"

"What? He felt he'd also check up on me as well?" Scott held up the article in his hand. He turned it around so that Logan could get a closer look at the slanderous piece that Jonas had put into the pile of clippings, "Why would he be looking into me? How would he know who I was when I never told you my last name?"

"I didn't ask him to look into you Scott," Logan frowned when he felt Scott slide out from beneath him on the couch. He watched Scott cross the room keeping the clipping in hand when he moved to the opposite side of the room, "Look he was just looking into the rumors that had come his way upon learning about the crash. He was just…"

"Seeing what I was," Scott crumbled the paper up in his hand and tossed it to the floor with a groan, "and now you know what the world thinks of me."

"Scott, I didn't ask for that," Logan frowned in seeing the pain that crossed over Scott's features, "I wasn't spying on you."

"Sure you weren't Logan," Scott threw his hands up in the air, "but hey now you know. I'm a monster Logan. There it is in black and white and…"

"No!" Logan snapped back at him, "You aren't Scott. You're not a monster. You're nothing like what that article said about you."

"How do you know?" Scott challenged with doubt carrying over him.

"Because I can see you as you are," Logan frowned realizing that Scott had put up a wall between them. He pulled himself up off of the couch to take a tentative step towards him, "I know you're no monster Scott."

"That's not what the world thinks Logan," Scott bit down on his lower lip to hold back on the upset in his voice.

"Maybe not, but I don't see you like the rest of the world does," Logan paused thinking about the isolation Scott must've felt when growing up. Taking in a breath Logan thought of his own situation before he'd encountered Scott, "Right after I woke up without my memory I got into a bar fight Scott. I almost killed a man after he'd tried to steal my wallet. I had this rage inside of me and when it got the best of me, well, that's when I learned about my mutation. My claws came out and scared the man. He damn near had a heart attack up on discovering what I was."

Scott said nothing simply holding his arms around his chest when Logan softened his voice.

"I didn't understand it myself, but I knew I was dangerous," Logan continued to explain, "so much so that I felt like the best thing I could do for this world was no longer be a part of it. After all what kind of man could I be if I had no past and no future?"

"Logan," Scott opened his mouth to say something more when Logan continued recounting his isolation and misery in a poignant voice.

"One night I tried to put a bullet in my brain right here," Logan pointed to his temple, "another time before that I tried in my chest, but it made no difference. Each time I just woke up with one hell of a headache and an emptiness inside."

"You mean…" Scott began making a small step towards Logan.

"I can't die," Logan informed him with a somber expression on his face, "and from what I've seen since I awakened on that island, I don't age much either. Truth be told I can't think of a single change in me that's taken place since I woke up with no memory. This is the reality I've had for myself. I heal, but apparently not up here."

Logan paused pointing to his head when anguish carried over him, "My brain has been on lock down hidden from me for all this time. Anything I was before its gone Scott. I have no idea where I came from, where I've been or where I'm supposed to be. All I know is that the world around me is terrified of me and until you and I crossed paths, well, I didn't imagine ever feeling any kind of connection with anyone ever again."

"Logan," Scott opened his mouth to say something more when Logan cut him off.

"Scott, I'm not good with words and I'm sure as hell not a people person," Logan forced a nervous laugh, "but when I'm with you I realized I don't have to be those things. You and I have something between us that…"

"…makes sense," Scott finished for him with the beginnings of a smile.

"Exactly," Logan nodded with a breath of relief, "and yes, maybe it's not the right circumstances, but I'm starting to think that maybe just maybe I was meant to find you in my life."

"I'm starting to feel that way as well," Scott's smile expanded when relief carried over him, "especially now that we're together."

"I want to be with you Scott," Logan stepped in closer to him, "now that I've been with you I can't imagine the thought of being without you. I don't want to lose this."

"Neither do I," Scott admitted bridging the distance between them to wrap his arms around Logan's shoulders. He slid into Logan's chest and returned to the same ease that had been present between them before Scott had discovered the article, "What they said about me it's not true…"

"I know," Logan squeezed his arms around tighter than before, "I didn't have to read that to realize just how wrong they were about you."

"It's not going to make leaving any easier Logan. If everyone else thinks that I'm that person," Scott began worriedly.

"We aren't going to deal with anyone else," Logan touched the side of Scott's face, "My friend is trustworthy. He's not going to tell anyone about you. Hell, I haven't even admitted to him that you're here although I'm sure he suspects."

"I'm sure that's why he gave you the article," Scott couldn't help, but frown.

"Perhaps, but what he also gave me," Logan paused not sure how to bring up the subject of what had been on his mind on the walk home from town, "Scott, there's something I need to tell you."

"What?" Scott questioned worriedly.

"William Stryker," Logan hesitated.

"What about him?" Scott asked drawing in a breath.

"I think," Logan paused before speaking up again, "well, I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that…"

"That what?" Scott asked.

"That I know him," Logan blurted out, "That somehow he's responsible for the way I am."

"But I thought that…" Scott's lip curled with confusion.

"I told you I had nightmares. I had dreams about being the subject of experiments-of having men around me, but never before did the faces come to clarity in my dreams," Logan released Scott in order to walk over to the discarded articles. He picked the one up with Stryker's face on it and showed it to Scott, "Before today I never gave it a second thought, but once I looked at this…Scott, I think he's the one responsible for the way I am now. I can't quite place how, but there's something inside of me telling me that this man is behind my memory loss. I'm convinced that he played a hand in stealing my life from me…"

"You mean that…?" Scott's jaw dropped when he moved in closer to Logan, "You said that you woke up on the ground on an island beside a generator."

"Yes, but…" Logan eyed Scott as Scott pulled the newspaper article from Logan's hand.

"I was being held captive in a place where I was told there was a generator," Scott walked over to scoop up the articles on the floor. He carried them over to the countertop before shuffling through them as if he was seeking out validation in his thoughts, "I wasn't able to see at the time, but the others told me about the place we were held in. Everything about it sounds so familiar to what you remember considering that…"

"You think I was there?" Logan questioned giving Scott a long once over.

"I don't know, but you're a mutant," Scott turned around to face him once again, "He held a bunch of us mutants there for experimentation and…"

"I could've been one of them," Logan realized when he thought to the familiarity he'd felt in Scott.

"It's possible that you and I crossed paths with one another," Scott nodded emphatically, "and if we did, then you have to see Charles. You have to speak with him. He'll know if you were there."

"I don't even know if I was there Scott," Logan frowned in realizing all he'd lost through the years.

"I told you that Charles has ways of discovering secrets locked away in a person's subconscious. He can help you find the truth," Scott stepped forward to pull Logan's hands into his. He squeezed down over the top of them before speaking up in an impassioned tone, "Together we can find the truth. We can see where you've been."

"What if we don't like what we see?" Logan asked wearily, "What if Charles can't help me?"

"Then you'll still have me. We'll still have each other from here on out," Scott promised squeezing Logan's hand once again.

"Each other," Logan looked down to their fingers interlaced.

"Logan, I want to be with you," Scott whispered moving in closer to him, "only you."

"What about your life back home? Your friends? Your team?" Logan questioned when Scott released one of his hands to touch the side of Logan's face.

"I've never connected with them in the way I've connected with you," Scott whispered with a raw desperation in his tone, "With you I finally feel like I'm at home again."

"Home," Logan repeated bringing his arm around Scott's waist to pull Scott in against him, "I think I like that."

"I was hoping you would," Scott smiled squeezing his arms around Logan's shoulders as the two found themselves met by a hope that had been devoid from their lives for so very long.

xxxxx

Sunlight filtered in through the uncovered window to the bedroom as Logan lay on his side tracing his index finger over Scott's spine to trace every beautiful line of his back now that the sheet barely covered the irresistible man that lay asleep on his stomach beside Logan lost in his dreams. Unlike the nightmares that had haunted Scott when he and Logan had first spent the nights together Scott seemed at ease, contented by their connection in ways that Logan hadn't anticipated. When Logan's finger dipped in underneath the sheet to trace over the smooth, muscled curve of Scott's bottom Logan felt Scott twist beneath the sheets with a soft murmur of a breath.

"At least tell me how gorgeous I am before you decide to take advantage of me," Scott teased twisting his head on the pillow when Logan's palm settled in over Scott's bottom in a light squeeze. With the movement Logan scooted in closer to Scott loving the way that Scott looked beside him bathed in sunlight with his dark lashes closed over his eyes.

"Where would the fun be in that?" Logan teased leaning over to press a kiss over Scott's shoulder.

"It could be a lot more fun if you hand me my glasses," Scott suggested reaching out over Logan's shoulder to feel for his glasses on the nightstand. When Scott discovered they weren't there he couldn't help, but frown.

"I suppose I can do that," Logan teased bringing them up from where he'd been holding them to place them on Scott's face. Once they were secured in place he felt Scott relax in beside him.

"Thank you," Scott whispered touching Logan's cheek as they lay together in the center of his bed.

"It was nothing. I had them for a while before you woke up just in case I felt compelled to rouse you from your dream to…" Logan smiled back at Scott.

"I meant for everything," Scott wrinkled his nose at Logan's words, "I know I've been a pain in the ass lately, but…"

"No, you really haven't," Logan squeezed at Scott's bottom once again, "In fact if anything you've brought life to this old place in ways I never imagined possible."

"It really does have character," Scott nodded to the room that surrounded them, "It's rustic, yet charming."

"Thanks," Logan replied with a small laugh, "I really only had the thoughts of a roof over my head when I put it together.'

"You built it?" Scott's voice was overtaken with surprise.

Logan nodded, "Yeah. As I said before I had a lot of time on my hands."

"Clearly, but for what it's worth," Scott's arm draped around Logan's shoulder once again as he twisted beneath the sheet, "I adore it."

"Now I know the cold has gotten to you," Logan wrinkled his nose in a tease.

"No I'm serious," Scott pulled Logan in closer to him, "I love this place because in spite of the situation that's around us, it means everything to me because it's the place where I fell in love with you."

"Fell in love with…" Logan's jaw dropped as Scott pulled Logan in over him.

"I know it's kind of soon to be saying it, but I'm falling in love with you Logan," Scott let out a nervous laugh, "It's crazy I know and if you're not feeling it too, well, I can understand, but given all we've experienced over the last few days together…"

"I must love you because honestly I'd probably be telling you to shut up otherwise," Logan teased dipping down to steal a kiss from Scott's nervous mouth.

"Or perhaps you're just simply saying it because you're looking for other means of shutting me up," Scott arched up off of the mattress into Logan again.

"Maybe, but for what it's worth I don't think you'd object to that," Logan slurred dipping down to place a tiny bite over the side of Scott's neck. Smiling to himself he traced his tongue over Scott's soft skin as Scott released a tiny whimper of a breath.

"Not in the least just as long as I'll have enough energy inside of me when it's time for us to leave," Scott sighed falling back onto the pillow with Logan over him.

"I promise you'll have plenty of time for that after we spend the morning in bed together," Logan assured him with a tiny growl in knowing that for the first time in a very long time he found himself optimistic for the future with Scott Summers at his side. Maybe just maybe seeing Charles with Scott would be the key to his freedom from his missing past after all.

xxxxx

Snow crunched under Logan's feet as he looked to the time taking note that he was running a bit early for his meeting with Jonas. When he'd gone into town the previous day to pick up a few more supplies he'd stopped into Jonas's shop to discover that Jonas had managed to get the means of transportation that Logan had needed to leave town with Scott. It was all falling perfectly into place as the delay had given Scott and Logan time to bond with one another, to get to know each other in ways they hadn't been able to had they been able to leave town sooner than anticipated.

"Hurry back," Scott had pleaded rushing to give Logan a goodbye kiss at the door before Logan had headed into town. Scott had whispered naughty suggestions in Logan's ear promising to surprise Logan with a few things he was putting together while Logan was away getting their ride out of town.

It was enough to put a spring in Logan's step as he made his way to the pawn shop preparing to help Scott find his way back to the school he'd been taken from. After a few discussions Scott had managed to twist Logan's arm into speaking with Charles and trying to rediscover the secrets from his past that had escaped him. Although Scott was no longer certain that he'd wanted to return to the school, he and Logan had agreed to find out what had happened to his teammates, to see what Charles could dig up about Logan's past before they would chart off on their next adventure together. It was almost perfect as Logan thought of the one, last surprise he'd picked up for Scott before heading over to the pawn shop.

"It'll only be a few minutes," Logan decided taking note of the time. Looking to the door to the bar across the street Logan decided to take a detour when he made his way over to the empty barstool. He took a seat remembering how the last time he'd visited the place he'd been surrounded by doom and gloom in feeling impossibly alone in the world in ways he hadn't imagined possible. Now in knowing he had Scott waiting for him at home Logan felt alive and full of promise for the world around him. It was enough to bring a smile to his face when he motioned for the bartender to bring him a drink.

"Thanks," Logan had replied paying for his drink when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.

"I'll have what he's having," a gruff voice carried through the air. It caused Logan to tense up, his body overtaken with familiarity when the man sat down on a barstool beside him. He listened to the sound of fingers tapping on the countertop when Logan tipped his head to the side to see the man staring at him intently, "Long time, now see, huh?"

"Excuse me?" Logan questioned with the beginnings of a frown when the man greeted him with a predatory smirk. His dark eyes searched Logan's offering up a bit of a snarl when his grin widened.

"What I mean is it's funny that we should meet up here of all places," the man replied giving Logan a long once over, "It's almost as if all the stars aligned for us to be here in this moment in time."

"What?" Logan blinked back at the man whose domineering presence was drawing attention by the other town's people.

"Here we are after all this time and it seems nothing has changed," the man mouthed as Logan heard the scratching sound of nails being dragged across the wooden top of the bar, "So tell me Logan, how have you been doing?"

"Do I…do I know you?" Logan frowned as an eerie sensation came rushing over him. He felt his instincts on overdrive telling him that the man beside him was trouble. There was something familiar about his face, yet he couldn't place the man's name as he held his drink in hand.

"I guess not," the predatory smile faded only to be replaced by a frown when the man stopped tapping on the countertop, "I guess I just thought that…"

"What?" Logan questioned as the man reached for his beer. He brought it up to his lips and finished it off in one, long, hearty sip before setting it down on the countertop once again.

"I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday," the man motioned for the bartender to return, "How about another round of drinks for us?"

"Sure," the bartender replied wearily when the man threw a few dollar bills out onto the countertop. The bartender scooped them up before trotting off in order to fulfill the stranger's request.

"It's not my birthday," Logan replied dismissively when the man beside him let out a small laugh.

"Oh but it is Jimmy," the man's words were emphasized in such a fashion that Logan felt chills carry over his spine, "and boy do I have a big surprise for you this year."

"The name's Logan," Logan snarled standing up and pushing away from the bar. He looked to his watch as the man who had taken to sitting beside him gave him a long once over.

"Oh," the man brought his hand over his chest to reveal the long nails over his oversized fingertips, "my mistake. I thought you were someone else…"

"It's no problem," Logan attempted to regain his composure when he felt the eyes of the men in the bar upon him. Thinking about the people who were after Scott, Logan looked to the door in remembering how the weather had been clearing up. It was a sign that they were running out of time together to get out of town before chaos would follow them. Focusing on the man beside him again Logan was struck by an uncanny feeling when he took a step back.

"Let me make it up to you," the man motioned to the seat Logan had been in seconds earlier, "How about we talk over a drink?"

"I have to go," Logan replied taking another step away from the man, "I have an appointment."

"Then I suppose you'd better be getting to it," the man mouthed reaching for his beer bottle. His lips curved upward in the beginnings of a sadistic grin when he pushed the bottle against his lips, "Logan."

"Right," Logan replied giving the man one last look before turning out the bar prepared to meet up with Jonas.

Stepping out onto the snow Logan picked up the pace in moving towards the old pawn shop. According to his watch he was now nearly ten minutes late for his meeting, which would mean he would owe Jonas for his tardiness. While he hadn't spoken to his friend beyond the day before he was certain that Jonas would provide him with what he needed to get out of town in a quick and discreet fashion before the people after Scott would ever realize that he'd been there.

As Logan approached the door to the pawn shop, he realized that it was open a crack. Immediately Logan was on sensory overload when the raw scent of carnage and blood carried over him. He stiffened immediately thinking about the request he'd made of his friend. With fears mounting Logan rushed forward into the pawn shop. At first look he noticed the broken glass on the front door. It was scattered over the floor as Logan stepped inside to discover the store in a state of disarray. The glass cases filled with jewelry were broken, shattered much like the front door had been when Logan surveyed the tiny shop. The jewelry was still inside of the cases untouched by the potential burglar, but what had struck Logan was the foul odor of blood and other bodily fluids when his eyes turned the door to the back room. A shudder carried over him when he stood up taller, preparing to extend his claws when he moved into the room to discover his friend on the floor over by the broken remains of the poker table they'd once spent a great many hours at together. There in a pool of his own blood Jonas lay face down with his insides torn out and scattered around the room. It was enough to cause Logan to gag at the intensity of the violence that surrounded him. There was blood everywhere as it was clear his friend had put up a fight against the torture he'd endured.

Suddenly Logan's thoughts returned to Scott, to the man he'd left alone and vulnerable up at his cabin in order to come into town. Although Scott had some martial arts training, Logan highly suspected that it was no match for the years of intensive training that Jonas had in his military background. Suddenly thinking back to the bar, Logan remembered the cryptic way the man beside him had spoken to him. There was something about his voice, about the way that he'd grinned that set Logan on edge. It was enough to jolt him back to reality as he rushed over to the cabinet at the back of the pawn shop to search for the keys that Jonas had promised would be there. Upon finding them Logan pushed them into his pocket and found his thoughts turning back to the stranger at the bar. With fear and worry overtaking him Logan rushed back to the bar only to discover the man had disappeared.

"Where is he?" Logan questioned with a snarl.

"Who?" the bartender asked looking up from the wooden surface of the bar top he'd been wiping.

"The man who bought me a drink. Where did he go?" Logan demanded when worry carried over him.

"He finished his drink and left right after you did," the bartender replied when Logan heard someone enter the bar with a horrified scream.

"Call the police! There's been a murder at the pawn shop," the new arrival explained recounting the details of what Logan had walked in upon moments earlier. He could hear the sound of panic and fear surrounding him when he looked down to his shoes to discover the blood that stained his brown colored work boots. Suddenly on edge he looked to the back door of the bar preparing to make his escape. Thinking about the things he'd seen he couldn't stand idle as Scott was all on his own ready to become prey to the worst kind of monster Logan had ever known.

"Victor," Logan mouthed to himself when a flash of memory overtook him. He closed his eyes thinking about Jonas's bloody remains in the pawn shop. He could remember the stench, the vile scene when his thoughts returned to the man's nails tapping on the top of the bar. He should've sensed it then, but there were traces of death upon him, lingering in ways that Logan should've picked up on. It surrounded him, taunting him in ways that Logan couldn't quite shake. Looking down to the bar top Logan noticed the pattern scratched into the wood before him. It matched the pattern over Scott's chest when suddenly realization dawned in upon him.

"No!" Logan gasped rushing out of the bar in the hopes that he wasn't too late to keep the man he'd fallen for from becoming Victor's latest prey all over again.

xxxxx

Scott looked around the cabin finding himself filled with regret over the idea of having to leave the place that had brought him peace and serenity. Although he hadn't been there long he'd started to think of Logan's place like home. He hadn't been lying when he'd told Logan about how at ease he'd felt in the new surroundings with a man who had loved and accepted him in ways that others at school hadn't.

"Love," Scott mouthed to himself when he found that he was unable to refrain from grinning like a fool at the very thought of Logan. Their time together had been passionate and intense, drawing out so many emotions he thought he hadn't been capable after a lifetime of heartbreak and disappointment. Yes, he'd wanted Jean, but what he'd felt for her had paled in comparison to the way that he'd felt when he was around Logan. Being with Logan was everything he'd anticipated love to feel like and when Logan had admitted in his own way that he'd felt it too, Scott felt as if he was on top of the world no longer held back by a mutation that kept everyone around him at arm's length. He was with someone who understood his fears and helped him to be more than he'd imagined in opening himself up to something more in life. No longer was he a freak or the strange kid, but he was someone with love in his life and promise for a future that had always been out of his reach through the years.

"I do love you," Scott murmured walking down the hallway to the bedroom where he and Logan had spent most of the morning with one another making love and promising one another all the ways in which life would change for them once they discovered the others were safe. They'd both been afraid of their powers, fearful of the path they were on, but now the world was open to new possibilities and promise.

"We can save each other," Scott smiled touching the corner of the bed when he heard the sound of the bells at the front door indicating that Logan had returned. With a smile he reached for the small bag he'd packed preparing to find his way out to the car that Logan had brought back with him. Together they would travel to New York where they could take the first step on their life together away from the chaos. It was all falling into place for them, Scott realized as he draped his bag over his shoulder. He walked out into the living room preparing to greet Logan with a smile and a kiss when another familiar voice captured his attention and stunned him into silence.

"Going somewhere?" the voice questioned with a wicked snarl and a laugh when Scott felt a fear overtake him. His heart dropped, body tensing up as the bag fell from his shoulder.

"No," Scott gasped looking to the man who stood before him with a seething grin and wild eyes. Looking down Scott's heart pounded in his chest bringing him back to his youth when he'd been strapped down to a chair feeling those nails digging into his chest and tearing him to pieces. With fear guiding his thoughts he took a step back in an attempt to place a distance between them when he realized they'd found him again.

"I missed you," Victor snarled bringing his tongue over the edge of his tooth in a predatory fashion. He stretched his arm out, with nails sliding against the wood of the narrow hallway, slicing into it as Scott continued to retreat towards the bedroom in a panic, "after all it's not every day that I get to spend time playing with my favorite pet."

"No!" Scott shouted clenching his fists at his side.

"Only this time I can promise you that you're not going to get away," Victor snarled leaping in towards Scott with malicious intent ready to pick up where he'd left off all those years ago.

xxxxx

"No, God no," Logan mouthed to himself when he sped up the hill to his cabin. While he knew that he could've taken off on foot and made good time, there was something about having the car that made things easier when the SUV that Jonas had selected for him made the rush through the snow much faster than he'd anticipated. He just hoped that it wouldn't be too late as he found his thoughts lingering to Scott.

With fear pumping through his veins Logan kept replaying the conversation he had with Victor in the bar. It was followed up with other vague memories of a time when he must've known Victor before. In remembering Victor's name there had been other things that followed, moments that Logan was certain he had to have experienced. They came rushing back to him as Logan could feel himself locked in the past. With each press his foot made of the gas petal he thought to Scott and the expression on his face in the newspaper clipping that Jonas had given him. Suddenly he could see Scott in a much darker surrounding set at a point in time closer to what he'd been at in the article. He had something over his eyes when two men were carrying him off towards a room full of cages.

"No," Logan felt his thoughts pour out over him when he was taken back to madness, to a time when revenge consumed him. He could clearly recall the pain and agony that was locked inside the facility-the way that he'd fought like hell to keep to his own agenda, but something had changed. He'd come back-prompted by screams that Victor was responsible for. He'd needed to save them. Logan had to save them from Victor's madness. He knew that they would suffer at the hands of Victor and Stryker.

"Stryker," Logan blinked as the name flashed through his mind. There were bits and pieces all meshing together in head with a whirlwind of violence and agony. He could recall the madness, the pain and the treachery he'd experienced. There were still so many missing pieces, so many memories that he couldn't hold onto in his confusion, yet there was one thing that he felt clearer than anything in the time it took him to return to his cabin. There was one face in particular that couldn't escape him, one boy that he'd saved from his prison when…

"Scott," Logan breathed with his heart hammering in his chest. In all of the chaos he'd saved Scott. He'd found Scott and freed him from his cage-a cage that Scott had been brought to by Victor's madness.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before Logan," Logan could hear Scott's words in his mind over and over again. They served to remind him of the boy he'd liberated; to the blind kid he'd saved from the madness that he'd been immersed in. There were others, but that boy had captured Logan's attention. There was something about the scent and familiarity of him that…

"We were always supposed to find each other," Logan deduced pulling into the drive leading up to his cabin when he noticed that the top of his roof was collapsed in on one side of the cabin. Worry spiraled out through his body causing him to fear for his new lover when he rushed out of the car. He barely had it in park when he sprinted into the cabin tearing the front door down only to discover Scott huddled up in the corner of the remains of the living room looking terrified.

Scott's knees were up against his chest as his head was buried in his hands. He broke into tiny sobs as he raised his chin up to sense Logan standing before him. His body was trembling. There was blood on his hands and scraped knees now that his clothing was tattered in ways that could only mean one thing. Victor.

"Scott," Logan rushed forward reaching out to pull Scott off up the ground, "Scott!"

"No!" Scott shouted with a shudder when he attempted to fight Logan off. He brought his hands away from his face to reveal that his glasses were no longer perched upon the bridge of his nose.

"Scott it's me. It's Logan," Logan touched Scott's wrists when Scott's nostrils flared with fear. Looking around the remains of his living room Logan realized something horrible had happened now that his ceiling had collapsed onto his couch and the rest of his furniture.

"I killed him," Scott sobbed unable to hold back on the fear that still rocked his slender frame. He sucked in a breath, on the verge of hyperventilating in his fears when Logan touched the sides of his face, "I had no choice. I had to save myself."

"Who?" Logan questioned when Scott choked up on his sobs, "Scott?"

"The monster," Scott explained in a small, childlike voice when Logan looked to Scott's exposed chest. He could see the scars had new scrapes over them in the same pattern that Logan had recognized at the bar. Standing up taller, Logan looked around his living room to discover that Victor's body was buried underneath the rubble in the room. His bloodied hand was sticking out from the shattered remains of the sofa indicating that he'd gone down in the struggle with Scott. Turning to Scott again Logan looked at him for the first time in realizing that Scott must've used his powers on Victor.

"I didn't have a choice," Scott continued to sob as his body shook against Logan, "He was going to hurt me. He was trying to…"

"It's okay," Logan pulled Scott in against his chest in a protective embrace, "the nightmare's over now."

"They're coming for me Logan. They're going to find me. They're going to…" Scott choked up on his fears as Logan squeezed him tighter than before.

"No they aren't," Logan reached for Scott's face again, "Listen to me Scott. They aren't going to hurt you. It's over now. We're just going to find your glasses and get the hell out of here."

"Logan, they know..." Scott bit back on his words, "They're coming."

"We won't be here," Logan promised spotting Scott's sunglasses out of the corner of his eye, "They won't find us."

"We can't escape," Scott trembled with worry, "They know that we're here."

"We won't be here for long," Logan assured him with a touch of his palm against Scott's now bloodied cheek. He wiped at the warm, crimson colored dampness seeing the scrape that grazed over Scott's otherwise flawless features, "I'm just going to grab your glasses and then…"

"Don't leave me Logan," Scott stretched his arms out in a desperate attempt to hold onto Logan, "Please."

"Okay," Logan promised reaching for Scott's hand, "We'll get them together."

"Together," Scott repeated taking in an uneasy breath as Logan moved a few steps forward to seek out Scott's glasses beneath the remains of his roof that was now surrounding them in his living room.

Moving a few feet forward Logan could almost feel the glasses within his reach when he heard movement across the room. Raising his chin up he found his eyes drawn to where Victor's body had been. There underneath the couch was blood, but as for the hand it had been replaced by more wood and debris when…

"You're not going anywhere," Victor snarled standing tall before Logan and Scott near Logan's kitchen. His nails were extended to reveal the gnarled claws on his hands when he met Logan's eyes in a predatory challenge, "You aren't leaving with him Jimmy."

"Logan," Scott's fingers dug into Logan's arm when a whimper rose from his lips.

"Stay here," Logan urged as Scott trembled beside him. He touched Scott's cheek before leaning in to offer up a small kiss of encouragement, "Your glasses are to your left at three 'o' clock. You get them while I take care of this."

"But…" Scott's lower lip curled with worry as he sat blind in the midst of the chaos that surrounded them.

"Trust me," Logan whispered pressing a kiss over Scott's forehead when he spotted Victor making his move across the way to charge at them.

"Come back to me Logan," Scott squeezed at Logan's fingers in an attempt to keep him close when Logan realized he had no choice, but to pull away.

"Always," Logan replied rising up to his feet and extending his claws.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Jimmy because when I'm finished with you, I'm going to work my way back to my pet and show him the meaning of the word discipline," Victor snarled leaping out towards Logan.

"Over my dead body," Logan reciprocating the movement in charging at Victor with an overwhelming rage. He slashed into the air, pouncing on Victor when the force of their movements sent more of the ceiling crashing down around them. He felt Victor stab at his abdomen, slicing and tearing into his flesh, but it did nothing to diffuse Logan's determination. He returned each blow, one harder than the next when they moved around the living room with one another. Each strike was met with another bone crushing blow, but neither man backed down as their violence escalated sending them both out through a window back into the yard.

Looking down Logan realized it was enough to separate them when Victor fell over by the cliff face down in the snow. Looking to his thigh Logan realized he had glass in it from the fall. He twisted his fingers into a fist and pulled the glass out before charging at Victor again bound and determined to see to it that the monster from his past didn't take away his future. He'd made the mistake in leaving Victor alive once before, but he'd be damned if he allowed it to happen again.

xxxxx

"Where are they?" Scott questioned reaching out across the glass and debris on the floor for his glasses. Although he'd been terrified earlier when Logan had arrived, he'd now pulled himself together enough to remember his training. Seeing Victor had blindsided him. It had made him frozen by his fears until he'd reacted with impulse in blasting Victor off of him. The reaction had sent Logan's ceiling down around them and it had brought about what Scott had hoped would be the end of the nightmare for him. However, in discovering that Victor was still alive, Scott's thoughts turned away from his own fears to the man he loved in hoping that somehow, someway he would be able to save Logan. If only he could grab his glasses, then he would be able to see what was happening. When he spotted Victor he would hit him again, this time with a direct approach and hopefully he'd be able to immobilize Victor long enough for them to get away.

"I'm coming Logan," Scott stretched his fingers out further over the debris. He could feel tiny shards of glass tearing at his fingertips bringing him to hints of pain, but they paled in comparison to the worry that overtook him in thinking about Logan outside with Victor engaged in a battle that could very well bring the end of it all for the man Scott loved.

"Please…" Scott stretched his fingers out further fighting to discover his glasses. He felt something beneath his touch that felt like more glass, metal and wood, but he didn't let it deter him. Reaching a bit further he finally felt familiarity in the touch. Realizing it was his glasses Scott just hoped and prayed they hadn't been destroyed in the scuffle between him and Victor. Once he'd pulled them out of the pile, he ran his bloodied fingertips over the surface to find himself relieved that they seemed intact.

Carefully Scott positioned his glasses on his face and pulled himself to his feet. The aftermath of his powers surrounded him in showing how he'd managed to obliterate all of Logan's hard work he'd put into his home with just a blink of his eye. It was devastating to think that he'd destroyed all that Logan had in his fear, but he vowed once they made it through the confrontation with Victor he would make it up to Logan. He would find a way somehow.

"Where are you?" Scott questioned looking to the broken window to his right. Parts of the wall were taken down with it as he realized that Logan must've been in the back with Victor. Given the volume of the battle between them Scott had realized both men had been capable of power and fury in ways that Scott hadn't imagined possible. In the past he'd dealt with other nefarious mutants, but in remembering all Victor was capable of, Scott wished like hell he hadn't underestimated him. He should've realized Victor wouldn't go down so easily with the roof. He should've continued to blast him until…

"Logan!" Scott called out to his lover when he spotted Victor and Logan battling it out near the edge of the cliff the cabin rested upon. With worry pumping through his veins Scott attempted to scoot out of the window when he was met by the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Going somewhere?" Scott heard another familiar voice question when he spun around to discover William Stryker and an army of men behind him. They had all of their guns pointed at Scott when Stryker let out a loud, nefarious laugh, "Did you really think I was going to let you get away again after all you've provided me with boy?"

"Stay away from me!" Scott snapped bringing his hand up over his glasses in warning, "I mean it."

"I'm sure you do, but this time I'm afraid you can't come out of this victorious. Neither one of you," Stryker nodded to the shadows behind Scott.

Spinning on his heel Scott realized at the last second there was a shooter behind him. He started to pull his glasses off when someone stepped to the opposite side and shot him in the neck. He felt another snapping pinch in his neck followed by two others until he was on wobbly legs falling back through the window out into the snow. He reached up to his neck attempting to pull the needles out when the crunching of snow filled his ears. He reached for his glasses again, but his hand had lost feeling. His arm was held down by an invisible weight as Stryker's voice echoed in his mind.

"I'm sorry boy, but as good as you've been, I'm afraid we can't let you or Weapon X get away again. It just doesn't work that way," Stryker promised as Scott felt the world around him fade to black.

xxxxx

"I'll kill you!" Logan snarled feeling himself overtaken with a venomous rage when he looked to Victor.

"You haven't been successful yet Jimmy," Victor licked his lips, teasing his tongue over the blood that pooled over his chin.

"This time I'll take your fucking head off!" Logan slashed at Victor, preparing to follow through on his threats when he heard the sound of glass shattering from inside the house. He raised his chin up, discovering Scott lying on the ground with soldiers surrounding him. His lifeless form was sprawled out face down in the snow as Logan took in the horrifying scene before him, "No!"

"Jimmy, you can't fight what we are," Victor lowered his claws as Logan's focus turned to the soldiers, "We are better than them. We deserve to live like kings."

"Scott!" Logan rushed forward forgetting about Victor long enough to charge at the soldiers. He slashed at anything and everything in sight finding his way to tear through the crowd in an attempt to reach Scott.

"Wolverine," he heard Stryker's voice carry over the cold that surrounded them, "I'd hoped that you'd join this party."

"Stryker," Logan snarled looking up to discover the same smug, miserable man before him with guns aimed at Logan, "You son of a bitch…"

"Watch it Logan!" Stryker warned when another soldier pointed his gun at Scott, "If you aren't careful your new plaything will suffer a very dark fate."

"No," Logan moved forward when the soldier teased his finger over the trigger of the gun he had pointed at Scott. The movement caused Logan to stand still for fear of what would happen to the man he'd fallen for.

"That's more like it," Stryker sneered when he nodded to the man who had the gun on Scott, "I just want to talk with you. It's been far too long."

"Let him go," Logan replied stiffly, "Leave him out of this. He has nothing to do with what you want from me."

"On the contrary," Stryker's grin expanded, "He has everything to do with what I want from you. Together the two of you have been my greatest achievements. You've both outdone yourselves and with you at my side…"

"Never," Logan shook his head furiously when he felt the rage he'd kept inside of him bursting out from within at the man who had destroyed his life.

"I knew this wouldn't be easy, but perhaps I can offer a bit of a consolation prize," Stryker nodded to another soldier who fired a few rounds off into Victor after he'd pulled himself up off of the snow. The impact caused him to fall back, but he continued moving suddenly aware of the betrayal that Stryker had pushed upon him. Fury creased his brow, his voice sounding out in a primal roar when a few other solders continued to shoot until Victor tumbled to the ground.

"Even the largest eventually fall down," Stryker laughed reaching into his pocket and pulling out a gun. He aimed it at Logan with a wild, crazy smirk, "and in your case it's going to be a lot harder than it was the last time Logan as it seems you've forgotten the golden rule. Once you're in, you're always in."

"I was never in with you," Logan's eyes shifted between the soldier who had a gun on Scott and on Scott, who was still motionless on the ground. Logan could see there were four needles jabbed into Scott's neck indicating that he'd been drugged. Still in weighing out his options Logan decided to take his chances in making a rush for Scott. He snarled pouncing on the soldier who had a gun aimed at Scott. In an instant chaos followed when guns were going off, shooting at Logan when he covered Scott's petite frame with the weight of his body. He could feel each bullet tear into his body, ripping at his flesh, but he knew that as long as he was over Scott that Scott would be safe. Logan would heal, but Scott wouldn't should they get him. He closed his eyes tightly with thoughts of protecting Scott in his mind. It was all he needed as the shooting continued. It carried on until Logan suspected most soldiers had gone through their rounds. It was going to be his opportunity to attack when Stryker stepped forward.

"You think you might've outsmarted us Wolverine, but I've got one more trick up my sleeve," Stryker promised as Logan raised his head up only to see the barrel of the gun near his forehead before the gun went off sending him down to the ground again.

xxxxx

"Shit!" one of Stryker's men exclaimed in the aftermath when Logan collapsed on Scott, "What do we do?"

"He won't be subdued for long. Neither one of them will be," Stryker reminded the men at his side. He motioned to Victor and Logan before letting out a chilled, impatient breath, "Get them on the plane."

"But sir…" the soldier opened his lips to protest.

"Do it now!" Stryker snarled as a group of men worked to pull Logan off of Scott. They'd already picked Victor up off of the ground and were carrying him over to the jet. He, too, had needles in his neck meant to subdue him long enough for transfer. Unlike Scott he'd needed a much larger dosage to keep him at bay, much like Logan was receiving when another soldier stepped forward to finish the job in keeping Logan unconscious a bit longer.

"We don't have much time," Stryker looked down to the gun he'd carried with adamantium bullets for just an occasion. With a wicked, triumphant smirk, he pushed it back into his pocket as Logan was carried off onto the jet, "He's going to be awake soon and I want to make sure they both have a complete memory wipe before that happens."

"I'll get right on it sir," one of the men nodded before following behind the group of soldiers that had carried Victor and Logan onto the jet and away from the cabin. Others were working to destroy the remains of the evidence in torching the cabin beyond where Stryker stood.

"What about him sir?" another soldier questioned kneeling down beside Scott.

"It's better if he goes on the other transport," Stryker decided looking to the fallen boy before him, "We don't want him and Logan crossing paths with one another again until the time is right. This was an oversight that I'd prefer to keep from happening again."

"Of course," the soldier nodded when Stryker turned away to follow the others onto the first jet away from the remains of the life that Logan had in his time away from the project. Now, however, Stryker was bound and determined to ensure that his best kept secret was safe and his for the taking.

xxxxx

"Logan!" Scott shouted raising his head up on the bed he'd been laying in. He could feel his arms strapped down as he attempted to pull himself up. His body was aching covered in bruises and cuts when a panic overtook him. He fought against his restraints feeling bandages on his eyes when he realized one eyelid was painfully swollen. Suddenly afraid of where he was Scott shook violently against the leather straps holding him down when the sound of footsteps approached.

"Scott," Charles Xavier's voice spoke smoothly in his head as Scott felt himself coming down from the terror that had overtaken him, "Scott, you're safe now."

"Charles," Scott choked on the sound of his voice when he realized his voice was raw and scratchy.

"You're home Scott. You're safe now," the warmth of Xavier's voice surrounded him, pulling Scott from the bloodied nightmares that had torn his subconscious to pieces from the moment Charles had discovered Scott held captive in the basement of an old military facility tucked away from the rest of the world. Although Charles had learned of where Scott had been, it had been difficult to locate him fast enough to avoid the inevitable disaster that had followed. When Charles had arrived Scott had been in the midst of the carnage in having been taken prisoner by soldiers who had beaten on him in an attempt to tear down his spirit. He'd been held captive for almost twenty four hours when Charles had assembled a team to pull Scott out of the nightmare he'd been taken to.

Nearly a week later Scott had still been unconscious and too weak to move, but Charles had seen inside of his head, had witnessed the things that Scott had endured in his time away from his team. It all came to Charles in vivid color when he experienced every moment of anguish and agony that his young protégée had endured on his own. Now with Scott safe in the basement of the school, he knew that Scott had plenty of questions to which Charles had no answers for. His rescue had been grueling on the others involved, but what was most important was that Scott was safe-although bruised and battered. In comparison to what Scott had endured the first time around, he was in much better shape, yet with the other things Charles had seen he knew Scott would never be the same again.

"Where's Logan?" Scott questioned when he found his voice, "Charles, we have to find him."

"He's gone Scott," Charles explained reaching out to find a way to ease Scott's physical pain. He moved in closer to his young ward knowing only too well that Logan's fate had been sealed long before he and Scott had crossed paths.

"No," Scott whimpered when realization dawned in over him, "He can't be gone. Charles please tell me that he's not…"

"The Logan you knew is long gone Scott and he's never coming back," Charles replied in a low, quiet voice as Scott broke into sobs before him in the hospital bed, "I'm sorry."

"No, he can't be. He…just…can't…" Scott refused to accept the words Charles had offered him. Moving forward Charles touched Scott's bruised fingers watching as Scott shuddered at the contact.

"I know how hard this must be for you Scott, but…" Charles sighed knowing only too well that given all Scott had endured the wounds would heal, but the torment his brain had been delivered would linger, reminding him of all he'd lost.

"No," Scott continued to sob when anger overtook him. He fought against his restraints, twisting and pulling until they tore into his flesh.

"Scott!" Charles looked down watching as Scott continued to lose himself to his rage, to bring himself to a fit of anger behind the pain he'd been in. As his sobs grew in intensity, there was a tremor in the room, a vibration that carried over the hospital room that caused it to shake and move with violent, unnatural force.

"Scott!" Charles shouted in an attempt to reach Scott when one of the vials on the counter top shattered to the ground after being propelled by an unknown force that went well beyond Scott's capabilities. Looking down to Scott, Charles watched in horror as his student began to arch up off of the bed, overtaken with anger and rage in ways that Charles hadn't thought Scott capable of. He looked to Scott's bleeding wrists only to discover that the wounds had already started to heal. Almost as soon as the fit had started Scott's other wounds were fading, taking with them the cuts and bruises he'd endured in his latest time in captivity.

"He can't be gone. I can't lose him," Scott snarled in a voice that went well beyond the boy Charles had watched grow and evolve within the walls of his school.

"I can make this go away Scott," Charles offered up in an attempt to hide his concerns when it was clear that Stryker's men had done more to Scott than he'd anticipated in his brief time away. Although Charles had suspected they'd wanted Scott for a dark purpose, their intentions were still unclear when Scott lay before him in a darker, more violent form of the boy Charles looked after.

With each movement Scott made Charles found himself fearing for Scott's future, afraid for what such rage and anger could do to the boy he loved. Closing his eyes Charles thought back to another man in his life, to the one friend he'd lost when anger consumed him. It had taken him over, turning him to a much darker purpose when Erik had chosen to use his rage to take down those who had hurt him. He'd been blinded by his anger and prejudices in ways that Charles hoped and prayed wouldn't touch any other he'd cared about. Now in seeing Scott consumed by the same emotions he knew he had no choice, but to intervene.

Looking around the room Charles realized the shaking had stopped almost as soon as the sedative that Scott had been taking through his IV had kicked in. It had calmed Scott enough for Charles to make the decision he hadn't been strong enough to do for Erik when they'd parted ways.

"I'll make the pain disappear," Charles promised reaching out to touch Scott's head once Scott had settled down, "Deep down I know that's what you want Scott. This time I won't fail you as I did before. This time I promise the nightmares will never haunt you again. I'll bring you peace son."

xxxxx

**Years Later**

"There you are," Scott smiled reaching out to pull Jean into a kiss after his class had come to an end. He wrapped his arms around her thinking about all of the joys he'd experienced in being able to be with his fiancée in the quiet time during his prep hour. He pulled her into an embrace feeling as if he was the luckiest man alive to have the heart and love of a woman who was perfect in every way imaginable.

"Aren't you supposed to be heading to Xavier's office?" Jean questioned in between kisses as Scott held her tighter than before.

"Eventually," Scott shrugged his shoulders before leaning in for another kiss, "but right now I want to take the time to let you know just how much I love you."

"I love you too Scott, but don't think that love alone is going to satisfy Xavier when he wants to see you," Jean teased patting Scott's chest lightly, "We both know that when he needs something he expects you to…"

"Get right on it I know," Scott nodded with a wrinkled expression, "and trust me I'm not planning on skipping out on responsibility. I just wanted to savor a moment with you before he has us go on this wild goose chase."

"Magneto's up to something again," Jean's brow creased worriedly, "We both know that when he gets involved…"

"…only trouble will follow," Scott nodded when tension carried over his jaw, "It's nothing we can't handle though."

"I don't know Scott, I have to tell you I have a bad feeling about things," Jean's lip curled with concern, "This time something feels different. Something's wrong."

"You keep saying that, but that can't be," Scott touched the side of her face, "I know everything is going to work itself out Jean."

"I have this feeling that I'm going to lose you Scott," Jean divulged worriedly. She reached for his hand and laced their fingers together, "I can't shake it, but there's something that…"

"That's just your way of telling me how uneasy you are about us being engaged," Scott laughed lightly as he raised her hand up to his lips. He placed a kiss over the top of it before offering up a smile, "Though I wish you would wear your ring."

"I will once we tell everyone the news," Jean promised as she pulled away from Scott, "but right now it's just not the time."

"Maybe not, but when it is don't think that I won't be shouting it from the rooftop that I'm the luckiest man alive to have the most wonderful girl in the world as my bride to be," Scott grinned brightly knowing that fate must've been smiling down at him in having found love in his life.

"If you even think about shouting anything from the rooftop I'll be shocked and surprised," Jean wrinkled her nose at him, "That's not the Scott Summers I know and love."

"Yeah, well I might surprise you," Scott leaned in to kiss her tenderly.

"In that case I can't wait to see more of it when you and Storm get back," she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You'll be amazed at all the things I have in store for our future," Scott promised giving her one last look before he reluctantly said his goodbyes.

Grudgingly he reminded himself of the old adage that the team came first. The mission and keeping peace was of the utmost importance so even if he felt as if the task at hand wasn't at all something he really needed to be concerned with, who was he to argue? After he'd spoken with Charles he realized that he and Storm would be on their way to check out some mutant activity that had raised interest in Magneto up in Canada. It should be simple enough to check it out after Charles had explained there would be a mutant of interest that he had hoped Storm and Scott could be able to persuade into returning. The job was simple enough. After all what could happen on such a simple journey into one of the coldest places Scott had anticipated being?

"Think we'll be able to convince them to return with us?" Storm questioned as she and Scott had settled in to the jet.

"You never know," Scott shrugged his shoulders simply, "as they always say great things can come from less than savory beginnings."

"Do you really believe that Scott?" Storm questioned wrinkling her nose at him.

"I don't know, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt that maybe just maybe these new mutants we find will be the key to changing all of our lives forever," Scott divulged in the hope that the new mission Charles had sent them on would be a game changer for all of them.

"I hope you're right Scott," Storm replied pushing a few buttons to start up the jet.

"Me too Ororo. Me too," Scott agreed ready to pilot the jet to next adventure that he hoped would be a way of turning things around for the better after years of setbacks and prejudices for mutant-kind. Even with Jean's concerns Scott had a good feeling about this one. Something big was right around the corner. He just knew it.


End file.
